New operation signal from MHP regarding the betting scandal! 'Other things will also come to light'

The TBMM Planning and Budget Committee met under the chairmanship of Samsun MP Mehmet Muş for the 2026 budget and final account negotiations of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The statements made by MHP Kocaeli MP Saffet Sancaklı at the meeting left a mark on the agenda.

Stating that as someone who comes from within the football world, he has been watching the recent betting operations with astonishment, Sancaklı said the following:

“ONE IN EVERY THREE FOOTBALL PLAYERS HAS PLACED BETS”

“We are truly following this with astonishment and sadness. After the figures were announced, even I was in shock. 1,024 football players have placed bets. The total number of players in all leagues is 3,700. Out of these 3,700 people, 1,024 have deposited money into accounts using their own national ID numbers and placed bets. We defended these referees for years; I wish we hadn't. There are 571 referees in Turkey, and 149 of them have placed bets under their own names and have been referred to the PFDK (Professional Football Discipline Committee). One in every three referees and one in every three football players has placed bets in their own name.”

“ONE FOOTBALL PLAYER HAS PLAYED 108 THOUSAND TIMES”

Stating that the rate of football players and referees who place bets is very high, Sancaklı shared another striking picture:

“There are 139 professional football clubs in Turkey. Players in 135 of them have placed bets. One referee has played 'iddaa' (betting) 18 thousand times during his 5-year career. One football player has played 108 thousand times. I guess he made about 20 coupons a day. While dealing with these coupons, when did you think about playing football or training? When did you eat?”

“IF THEY BET ON THEIR OWN MATCHES, LAW 6222 COMES INTO PLAY”

Sancaklı emphasized that if these players bet on their own matches, the situation would take on a judicial dimension:

“There is one club with 18 players, two clubs with 17, one club with 16, and one club with 15 players involved. There is a primary issue here: the player just placed a bet, this does not concern the federation. If these players or referees bet on their own matches, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office gets involved. Then Law 6222 comes into play, match-fixing comes into play.”

“THERE ARE ALSO THOSE WHO REGISTERED JUST TO WATCH MATCHES”

Sancaklı also stated that some referees registered on platforms where the broadcasting rights for second and third-league matches were given, solely to watch the matches:

“However, we need to pay attention to one more thing here. The broadcasting rights for the second and third leagues were given to Nesine and Misli.com. You have to provide your national ID number for official membership. Some referees have already registered there just to watch matches. They offer you a bonus, and they only open the broadcast if you play it. There are those who entered just to watch the match and were forced to use that bonus to watch the match.”

“THE BETTING MAFIA TRAPS FOOTBALL PLAYERS”

Stating that one must be careful during the operations, Sancaklı expressed that the betting mafia takes advantage of the poor management of the clubs:

“One must be very careful while conducting this operation. For example, a referee named Zorbey Küçük was announced. I was also very surprised. We immediately had the man registered in Europe. It turned out that it was opened somewhere in his name, he was exonerated. These people have played, but there are also those who make them play. There is a friend of mine whose father has people playing over 100 million in 18 Super League clubs. Many of the clubs are not enough, they don't pay this on time. This is an environment that falls into the hands of the betting mafia. They immediately make them make wrong decisions and then take them in. The corruption of football players' minds is entirely a matter of character. The clubs have been managed so poorly that they are also facilitating this. Other things will come to light in the coming days. If you drive these clubs into a quagmire, you will end up paying these prices.”

“THIS SITUATION CREATES A GREAT OPPORTUNITY”

Sancaklı also argued that what has happened could create an opportunity for young players in Turkish football:

“All of this has created a great opportunity for us. 1,024 players will be penalized. There are those receiving 15, 10, 5-year bans. These players will shout 'transfer'. Let's block transfers. Bring in 1,024 children from the youth academy; Turkey will gain at least 100 new players next year. This is a great opportunity. If there is a club that says 'I won't play young players', let's relegate them as well.”

News Source: 12punto