ANKARA-(MaraviPost)-The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has taken unprecedented action, suspending 1,024 players across all levels of the country’s football system amid an ongoing investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing.
According to a statement released by the TFF on Tuesday night the suspensions come after weeks of intelligence gathering in cooperation with the Turkish National Police and the Ministry of Sports.
The investigation reportedly uncovered extensive evidence linking several players, club officials and betting syndicates to suspicious betting activities that influenced match outcomes.
Among those suspended are 27 players from the Turkish Süper Lig, the country’s top flight, who have now been referred to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) for further hearings.
The federation confirmed that the players face possible lifetime bans if found guilty of manipulating games for financial gain.
TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi described the revelations as “the darkest moment in Turkish football in decades,” promising full transparency and zero tolerance for corruption.
The TFF has postponed all matches in the 3rd and 4th divisions for two weeks, citing the need to protect the integrity of the sport while investigations continue.
Clubs affected by the suspensions are expected to face serious disruptions, as many teams in the lower leagues have lost key players overnight.
Reports from indicate that investigators are also scrutinizing betting patterns connected to online platforms based in Cyprus, Eastern Europe and Asia, where large sums were wagered on low-tier Turkish games.
Meanwhile, the Turkish government has announced plans to tighten anti betting laws and expand the Sports Integrity Unit, which will now monitor all professional and semi professional competitions in real time.
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