Fatih Altaylı on Acun Ilıcalı and illegal betting: 'An investigation should also be opened into TRT'

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into Fenerbahçe Vice President Acun Ilıcalı and officials from the TV8 and Exxen digital platforms on allegations of advertising and encouraging illegal betting.

Journalist Fatih Altaylı also shared his assessments regarding the incident on his personal YouTube channel.

Here are the highlights from Altaylı's statements:

"These accusations against Acun Ilıcalı have been around for some time, especially after Acun became a member of the Fenerbahçe board of directors. Following the revelation that an illegal betting site—was it KingBet or something?—was advertising on Galatasaray, the Fenerbahçe management made a fuss, and in response, Galatasaray retorted, 'You are also running illegal betting ads on your television channels, Acun.'"

"Acun then said, 'My brother, these are matches that we broadcast live; we do not sell the advertising space for these live broadcasts,' and as far as I know, Acun does not sell them."

HE POINTED TO TRT AS AN EXAMPLE

"In the past, when TRT broadcast matches, TRT would use these advertising rights years ago and collect that money. In later years, this situation changed, and clubs or, in the case of national matches, federations began leasing them. Regarding the Montenegro match and another match, Acun says, 'The marketing rights for these matches belong to that federation.'"

"It is true that they belong to that federation, but as far as I know, a Turkish company has acquired these marketing rights from those federations. In fact, during the Montenegro match the other day, the name of that company was also written on those advertising boards in places where there were no other ads.

Who does this company belong to? That is the main issue."

"Yes, it belongs to Acun. So, it is not marketing done by Acun. A company is marketing this. Who does that company belong to?

Also, let me say this: similar things have been seen in foreign matches broadcast by TRT. We have seen these types of illegal betting advertisements or advertisements for betting sites banned in Turkey in national matches broadcast by TRT in the past, and in other matches broadcast by TRT."

"Let me say something else about Acun. There was a betting company, an illegal betting company based in the Netherlands, abroad. This illegal betting company carried the name of Acun's television channels or platform. I wrote about this, and Acun said, 'Brother, this has nothing to do with us; it is someone using our name. We have filed a lawsuit against them.' There was a site that started with the name of Acun's company and used the same logo.

This is not Acun's doing. If you are opening an investigation into Acun because of this, you should also open an investigation into TRT and others. Because I remember seeing these advertisements on TRT."