Turkish Referee Committee President Ferhat Gündoğdu Remains in Detention Following Raids

Ferhat Gündoğdu, the chairman of the Turkish Football Federation’s central referee committee (MHK), and four other suspects must remain in detention following raids across Turkey, an Istanbul court decided, as reported by the state-run Anadolu news agency and covered by outlets including welt.de and n-tv.de. The officials face serious allegations including document forgery, abuse of trust, and the unlawful acquisition of personal data.

Court Decision on the Central Referee Committee Leadership

The ruling from the Istanbul court keeps Gündoğdu and four co-accused individuals behind bars while the legal process moves forward. According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, two other suspects who were initially detained alongside them were released under judicial supervision. The arrests followed sweeping police operations across Istanbul, Ankara, and two other Turkish provinces. welt.de reported that two top-tier referees are among those implicated in the investigation.

The probe is being handled directly by the illegal betting and sports crime bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The MHK functions as the governing body within the Turkish Football Federation responsible for grading, assigning, and evaluating referees for league matches. For years, the committee’s assignments have drawn intense scrutiny and frequent questioning from Turkish clubs and supporters.

Distinction From the Nationwide Betting Investigations

Initial findings indicate that the current detention of the MHK chairman and officials has no direct connection to the illegal sports betting scandal that rocked Turkish football last November, as noted by welt.de and n-tv.de. In that separate case, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office issued arrest warrants for 21 individuals, which included 17 referees and the president of a top-tier Turkish club.

That prior betting scandal broke wide open after the Turkish Football Federation suspended 149 referees and assistant referees. Subsequent checks revealed that 371 out of 571 active referees held accounts with commercial betting operators. Out of that group, 152 referees were accused of placing wagers on football matches themselves, a total comprising seven top-flight referees and 15 top-tier assistant referees.

Scope of the Document Forgery and Data Inquiries

While the earlier November sweep targeted active match officials and club leadership over sports betting integrity, the current case against Gündoğdu and his associates focuses specifically on alleged white-collar offenses within sports administration. The formal accusations involve document forgery, breach of trust, and the illegal harvesting of personal data.

Unresolved Questions in the Investigation

Authorities have yet to release the names of the two top-tier referees reportedly included among the suspects.