Turkish FA suspends 1,024 soccer players in betting scandal

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The Turkish Football Federation suspended 1,024 soccer players identified through a widespread gambling probe, officials announced Tuesday.

Players from Galatasaray and Besiktas, in addition to hundreds more from lower tier clubs within the Turkish soccer system, were identified for alleged involvement in the scandals. Officials moved to postpone third- and fourth-tier matches for two weeks, while allowing first- and second-tier games to continue.

Eren Elmali, a Galatasaray defender, was puled off Turkey's national team ahead of World Cup qualifiers. Metehan Baltaci, Elmali's Galatasaray teammate, also was listed among the players suspended. Besiktas teammates Ersin Destanoglu and Necip Uysal were also named.

The federation refereed those identified to the Turkish Professional Football Disciplinary Board. Besiktas said they had "full faith" that Destanoglu and Uysal would be cleared. Galatasaray said they would monitor the process.

"I want to make it clear that my name is included in this file because of a betting transaction made about five years ago involving someone other than my own team," Elmali wrote Monday on Instagram. "Since then, I have neither bet nor had any connection to this matter."

More than two dozen players from the Turkish Super Lig -- the top league in Turkey -- were suspended. Nearly 80 players from 1. Lig -- the second tier -- received bans.

The federation asked FIFA to grant clubs an additional transfer and registration period to compensate for roster shortages.

Tuesday's announcement came less than a month after the federation suspended 149 match officials for alleged connections to a betting scandal. Federation president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said at an Oct. 27 news conference that an investigation found evidence that 371 of 571 active officials had at least one account with a betting company.

He also said 10 referees submitted bets on more than 10,000 matches.

Turkey will host Bulgaria in a World Cup qualifier at noon EST Saturday in Bursa. Super Lig matches are set to resume Nov. 22, after the international break.

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