Breaking News: Metehan Baltacı released! His defense revealed

The trial of Galatasaray footballer Metehan Baltacı, who faces up to 13 years in prison on charges of betting and match-fixing, has begun. The detained defendant Metehan Baltacı and the lawyers for the parties were present at the hearing held at the Istanbul 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance. Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk and footballers Kazım Karataş, Doğan Alemdar, and Bertuğ Yıldırım also attended the hearing as spectators to support Baltacı.

"I DID NOT BET ON THE MATCHES I PLAYED IN EITHER"

During the hearing, Baltacı, whose identity was verified, stated that he is a high school graduate and his monthly income is approximately 1.5 million liras. Subsequently, the defendant Baltacı, making his defense, stated that he was in Galatasaray's U19, or under-19 team, during both of the incidents in question, saying, "I was not in the A-team at that time. I had a betting membership on a legal site. I had placed bets on both of the matches in question, but since I was not in the A-team, let alone being on the field, I wasn't even on the bench at that time. I was not in contact with anyone. I did not earn any money from the bets I placed; I was in the Galatasaray A-team squad in the 2023-2024 season. I played my first official match this season. As far as I know, I did not have a membership on illegal betting sites. I have not placed any bets since joining the A-team. I did not bet on the matches I played in either," he said.

"I DID NOT COLLUDE WITH ANYONE TO FIX A MATCH"

Continuing his defense, Baltacı said regarding the messages he was asked about, "The messages with my friends are conversations about football; these conversations always happen. They are the type of content everyone in the football community talks about. I did not collude with anyone to fix a match. There is no coupon mentioned in the messages, nor is there any money that came into my account," he said.

In the continuation of his defense, Baltacı stated, "I am very surprised by the fraud accusation and I do not accept it. I did not know that placing bets was a crime. I did not deceive anyone with any fraudulent act. I have reached this point by working hard for years. I joined Galatasaray at the age of 12, and I have been involved in football and working hard since I was 12. I am both very sad to have fallen into such a situation and I do not accept it. I have been in prison for 4 months, and I have also received a deprivation of rights penalty from the TFF. I request my release and acquittal," he said.

RELEASED

Metehan Baltacı has been released.

A lawsuit had been filed against Baltacı for the crimes of "match-fixing and incentive bonuses" and "attempted qualified fraud."

News Source: İHA