The third hearing of the "betting in football" case, in which Fenerbahçe footballer Mert Hakan Yandaş and Fenerbahçe Congress Member Ersen Dikmen are being tried, was held at the Istanbul 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance.
Yandaş, who faces up to 17 years and 10 months in prison, did not attend the hearing. Yandaş's brother and his lawyers were present at the hearing. The other defendant, Ersen Dikmen, also did not attend, but his lawyers were present in the courtroom.
Yandaş's lawyers argued that the accusations against their client were not supported by concrete evidence. In their defense, they stated that an examination of Yandaş's mobile phone revealed no findings indicating that he had accessed legal betting applications, and requested that this be evaluated in favor of the defendant.
Ersen Dikmen's lawyers also requested their client's acquittal. The court decided to send the file to the hearing prosecutor for the preparation of the final opinion on the merits.
The case was adjourned until January 27, 2027.
News Source: 12punto
