Breaking news: 17 suspects who were detained within the scope of the football betting investigation were sent to the courthouse after their procedures at the police station.

In the betting match-fixing investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, an operation was carried out against 19 club managers for allegedly betting on their own team’s matches in favor of the opponent or on goals during their tenure, and 17 suspects were caught during the operation. In the studies carried out by taking data from legal betting sites operating in Türkiye between the years 2020 and 2026 of the managers of football clubs, individuals who had coupons within the scope of bets in favor of the opposing team, bets on goals, and bets placed on players were identified during the period they served as managers in their clubs. A simultaneous operation was carried out to capture 19 suspects in 10 provinces centered in Istanbul, and 17 people were caught and detained. The procedures of the 17 suspects taken into custody at the police station have ended. The suspects were referred to the courthouse.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Bureau and Cyber ​​Fighting Branch Directorate teams pressed the button in the fight against illegal betting before the World Cup Final Match, and the teams immediately blocked 6 thousand 314 bank accounts during the minutes when illegal betting traffic peaked. In the operation announced by the Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, detention orders were given for 23 suspects in the huge operation against 19 Foreign Finance Houses and gang leaders.

HUGE OPERATION BEFORE THE WORLD CUP FINAL

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, to which millions of football fans were glued, resulted in great destruction for illegal betting barons. The button was pressed in line with the Presidency’s circular numbered 2025/18 “Action Plan for Combating Illegal Betting, Games of Chance and Gambling in the Virtual Environment” published in the Official Gazette numbered 33064 dated 01.11.2025 and the coordination letter of the Ministry of Justice dated 16.02.2026. The “Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Bureau”, which was specially established within the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on 26.06.2026, followed the giant organization step by step with its expert staff.

50 BILLION DOLLAR BETTING OPERATION

In the global and local analysis, it was determined that the huge amount spent on betting in the 2022 FIFA World Cup was 35 billion dollars, and this volume will reach 50 billion dollars in the 2026 organization. In coordinated studies carried out with the Istanbul Provincial Police Department Anti-Cyber ​​Crimes Branch Directorate teams, the Final Match was determined as the operation day when the illegal money traffic would reach its highest level.

6 THOUSAND 314 BANK ACCOUNTS SIMULTANEOUSLY BLOCKED

Stating that 6,314 bank accounts were identified before the World Cup Final Match and a simultaneous warrant was written to the banks to instantly block these accounts, Minister Gürlek said, “In this context, 6 thousand 314 bank accounts used in illegal betting traffic were identified, and a simultaneous warrant was written to the banks to instantly block these accounts with the start of the final match. In addition, 19 foreign financial houses, which were considered to be working integrated with illegal betting sites, were disclosed, and 23 suspects were identified.” Judicial proceedings have been initiated for his arrest. I would like to thank our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, our Istanbul Provincial Police Department, and all our public officials who took part in this process, and we will never allow illegal betting and virtual gambling that targets the labor of our youth, the peace of our families and the future of our nation. he said.

19 FOREIGN FINANCE HOUSES AND PANEL SYSTEMS WERE COLLAPSED

The operation was not limited to account blocking only. With the artificial intelligence-supported AVCI program, 19 Foreign Finance Houses connected to the PANEL system, which was integrated with illegal betting sites and provided organized money transfers, were exposed. A detention order was issued for 23 suspects who were determined to be System administrators and gang members. While 16 of the suspects were caught, efforts are continuing to capture 7 suspects.

Ministry of Internal Affairs: The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that 669 suspects were caught in ‘qualified fraud, illegal betting and online child obscenity and harassment’ operations carried out by police teams in 39 provinces in the last 2 weeks.

In the statement made by the Ministry about the operation, “669 suspects were caught in the operations carried out by our police in the last 2 weeks within the scope of the Fight against Cyber Crimes. 361 of the suspects caught in the operations carried out against the crimes of ‘Qualified fraud, illegal betting and online child obscenity and harassment’ in 39 provinces were arrested, judicial control provisions were implemented for 191 of them, and the procedures for the others are continuing. Under the coordination of the General Directorate of Security, Department of Combating Cyber Crimes, MASAK and Chief Public Prosecutors’ Offices; Provincial Police Department.” As a result of the work carried out by the Anti-Cyber Crime Branch Directorates, the suspects caught in operations in 39 provinces; created phishing sites with the theme of ‘TOKİ social housing project’ and demanded money from our citizens for ‘application fee, file costs, tax fee’ reasons, gained unauthorized access to our citizens’ mobile banking and gaming accounts, made illegal betting and gambling, mediated money transfer on illegal betting sites, advertised illegal betting and gambling sites, advertised on social media. “It was determined that they were defrauding our citizens by using themes such as ‘white goods sales, share partnership, product price, investment partnership’ through their platforms and that they contained obscene images of children.”

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated in his post on his social media account that the fight against criminal organizations, organized crime structures and all kinds of dirty relationship networks that try to create space for these structures is continuing with determination.

Gürlek stated that in the investigation carried out by the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was determined that the managers and members of the organization received criminal records, search records, arrest records, red notices, vehicle interrogation and customs passage information from some public officials who acted contrary to the definition of duties and powers, and in this context, 2 probation officers, 1 record clerk, 1 deputy customs enforcement director, 15 customs enforcement officers, 10 police officers and 2 lawyers were included. He reported that detention orders were issued for a total of 50 suspects.

Stating that simultaneous operations were carried out in Muğla, Bursa, Edirne, Çanakkale, Sivas, Tekirdağ, Diyarbakır, İzmir, Balıkesir, Ankara and Kayseri, Gürlek said, “There will be no tolerance for anyone who attempts to put the state’s resources at the disposal of criminal organizations, the dignity of public office and our nation’s trust in the state; legal proceedings will be taken against those who attempt to use public power for personal or organizational interests.” “It will be established without delay,” he said.

Gürlek stated in his post, “The main purpose of this struggle is to protect the peace of our nation, strengthen public order and further increase our citizens’ trust in the state, justice and law. We will continue to demonstrate the power of the state of law in the most determined way against criminal organizations in the Turkish Century.”

The first phase of the restoration work at Diyarbakır E Type Prison, which will be converted into a museum, has been completed. Diyarbakır Prison, the construction of which started in 1972 in the Bağlar district of Diyarbakır, was opened on July 4, 1980. The name of the prison, which was transferred to military administration after September 12, 1980 and used as “Martial Law Military Prison”, was associated with ill-treatment and torture. Work was initiated after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement during his visit to the city on July 9, 2021, “We are soon evacuating Diyarbakır Prison, which has been associated with cruelty, torture and inhumane treatment for a long time in the past, and present it to you as a cultural center.” Following the protocol signed between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on October 11, 2022, the restoration work of Diyarbakır Prison, which was transferred to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, started.

It was converted into a Memorial and Ethnography Museum by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the cells and wards were rearranged. Pictures from the old period were prepared and representative sculptures depicting the visitors were made. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to open the museum, which is expected to be completed completely by the new year.

His paintings from the archives of the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses also took their place in the museum. Among the pictures are Prison Commander Captain Esat Oktay Yıldıran, known for his bad practices in Diyarbakır Prison, and his dog Joe.

The statements of 19 people arrested in the investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the helicopter crash in which BBP Chairman Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and 5 people with him lost their lives were revealed. Even though the suspects denied the accusations, their statements; It revealed search-and-rescue scandals, attempts to suppress evidence, and how crime scene security was disregarded. The most critical link of the investigation was the mysterious theft of the ARGUS 5000CE navigation device from the wreckage, which was the most vital technical evidence that could shed light on the helicopter’s cause of accident, flight route and possible jet interventions.

Mehmet Sevdim, Ferudun Seren and Kerem Mumcuoğlu, who were in the civil accident crime committee, admitted that they noticed that the device was not in the cockpit during the inspection on March 31. The suspects said, “We did not write this vital situation in the official accident report to avoid public speculation.” It was determined that the report regarding the loss of the device was prepared fakely in May 2009, with a retroactive date.
The head of the military delegation, Ebubekir Semih Yüksekkaya, claimed that the devices were lost while in the hands of the civilian team or were hidden by photo manipulation. Yüksekkaya claimed that the part called “return recorder” belonging to the helicopter was also found during the search in the civilian delegation’s room.
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek emphasized that FETO’s secret structure, fugitive Adil Öksüz’s connections and ByLock correspondence were being examined and said, “No matter where the investigation leads, our state will go to the end.”