Date of Publication: November 25, 2025, 06:02h.
Last Updated: November 25, 2025, 06:02h.
- Ağrı Spor faces severe competition challenges due to extensive gambling bans.
- More than 1,000 Turkish players and officials under suspension for wagering activities.
- Critics argue that the retroactive nature of these gambling bans disproportionately impacts smaller teams with limited resources.
The ongoing gambling crisis in Turkish soccer has led to an unprecedented number of suspensions, leaving one club unable to assemble a full squad.
Competing in the nation’s fourth division, Ağrı Spor has faced crippling sanctions, losing 17 players, which has entirely depleted its roster.
The club stated this week that only seven players remain available and that they will need to urgently recruit from their youth squad and local amateurs to prepare for their next game on November 30 against Silifke.
‘Cleanse the System’
On November 10, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced the suspension of 1,024 athletes across the country’s four professional leagues due to illegal betting on soccer, breaching TFF, UEFA, and FIFA regulations.
This list includes 27 players from the Süper Lig, Turkey’s premier league, with two belonging to the reigning champion club Beşiktaş.
The federation also stated that 149 referees have been suspended for participating in betting activities. An additional three are under investigation, and the İstanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated a probe into potential match-fixing.
The investigation disclosed that among the 571 professional referees, 371 had betting accounts, and 152 were found placing bets on soccer matches.
Authorities have issued detention orders for 21 individuals, including 17 referees and a club chairman.
TFF president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu emphasized the need to “restore Turkish soccer to its rightful place and eliminate corruption.”
No Room for Error
However, Ağrı Spor, located in eastern Turkey near the Iranian border, claims that most of its suspended players had engaged in betting several years prior and have since refrained from such activities.
The club’s vice president, Tekin Yuşan, indicated that an internal investigation found no betting activity from its players since the team’s lineup was established in August.
The TFF contends its stringent policy aligns with UEFA and FIFA standards for integrity, but critics spotlight that punishing past betting behaviors unduly affects smaller clubs lacking resources.
“Our club has rallied all its legal and sporting resources throughout this ordeal and is committed to ensuring that justice prevails,” Ağrı Spor stated on their Facebook page. “We will persist in our fight, come what may.”
In Turkey, sports betting is only sanctioned through the state-operated İddaa, and wagering on foreign platforms is prohibited. It remains uncertain whether the players and referees placed bets legally or through unauthorized sites.