ROME (ITALPRESS) – “Football is a shared passion among our citizens and holds great value for us. Fair competition on the pitch and the impartial, transparent execution of refereeing processes form the foundation of trust in the sport. Our State is firmly addressing—within the legal framework—any allegations of irregularities that undermine this trust.” So begins a lengthy post on X by Turkey’s Minister of Justice, Akin Gurlek, announcing the detention of the president of the Turkish Football Federation’s Central Referee Board and six other individuals. “In this context, allegations regarding interference in the compilation of referee rankings, the assignment of duties, point evaluations, appointment processes, and rules examinations have been investigated. As part of the inquiry conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in collaboration with the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Public Security, an operation was launched this morning based on statements from complainants and witnesses, as well as expert reports,” the Minister added.
“As part of the operation, detention procedures were carried out against the suspects, including the president of the Turkish Football Federation’s Central Referees Board, Ferhat Gundogdu; the vice-president; a board member; a former board member; the president of the Istanbul branch of the Referees Association; and two other individuals. Judicial searches were conducted at their residences, workplaces, and various offices,” noted Akin Gurlek. “We are well aware of how sensitive sports fans are regarding refereeing processes and their expectations for fairness. No position, title, or role confers privileges before the law. I thank the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office—which is conducting this important investigation with great meticulousness—and the Istanbul Provincial Security Directorate for their efforts in this operation. We will continue our fight for clean football with determination,” the Minister concluded.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
