Indictment against Mert Hakan Yandaş accepted
A major development has occurred regarding footballer Mert Hakan Yandaş, who was arrested as part of a "betting in football" investigation. The indictment prepared against Mert Hakan Yandaş has been accepted.
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Mert Öcel, the lawyer for Mert Hakan Yandaş, who is currently in prison, stated in a social media post: "The indictment prepared against our client Mert Hakan Yandaş has been accepted by the court, and the hearing date has been set for April 3, 2026, at 10:30 AM. Respectfully announced to the public. Our captain's conscience is clear, and his head is held high!"
UP TO 17 YEARS IN PRISON SOUGHT
An indictment was prepared against Yandaş and Dikmen, who were arrested on December 9, 2025, as part of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
A prison sentence of 4 to 17 years was requested for Mert Hakan Yandaş.
SEPARATE CASES FILED AGAINST EACH SUSPECT
Indictments were prepared against 34 suspects as part of the "betting in football" investigation.
In a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was reported that the indictments regarding the suspects caught and arrested in operations conducted as part of the investigations known to the public as "betting-match-fixing in football" have been completed, and separate cases have been filed against each suspect in the competent court.
The statement included the following: "The meticulous work in line with the determined fight against match-fixing allegations in Turkish football and illegal betting crimes, which are a festering wound for society, will continue uninterruptedly with operations planned for the future."
The prepared indictment lists referees Erkan Arslan, Nevzat Okat, Yakup Yapıcı, Ahmet Kıvanç Kader, Nurullah Bayram, and Baran Karaman; footballers Kerem Yusuf Sirkeci, Emircan Çiçek, Bartu Kaya, İzzet Furkan Malak, Metehan Baltacı, Yunus Emre Tekoğul, Faruk Can Genç, Kadir Kaan Yurdakul, Orkun Özdemir, Alassane Ndao, Abdurrahman Bayram, Bahattin Berke Demircan, Doğukan Çınar, Eyüpcan Temiz, Furkan Demir, Gökhan Payal, İbrahim Yılmaz, Mustafa Çeçenoğlu, Ergün Nazlı, Hamit Bayraktar, Hüseyin Aybars Tüfekci, İlke Tankul, Mert Aktaş, İsmail Karakaş, Tufan Kelleci, and Mert Hakan Yandaş; as well as Turkish Football Federation official Buğra Cem İmamoğulları and Fenerbahçe Congress Member Ersen Dikmen, who is alleged to have placed bets on Yandaş's behalf, as "suspects."