Turkish authorities arrested 89 people early on Wednesday in an operation against illegal gambling, according to a report. The available report text provides no further details about the arrests or the authorities involved.
The arrests signal Turkish authorities’ action against illegal gambling, although the available report gives few operational details.
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Türkiye has reported an operation concerning alleged illegal online gambling. The allegations concern 117 suspects.
According to the Interior Ministry, 117 suspects are alleged to have run illegal online gambling operations. The ministry named the provinces where it says raids took place: Adıyaman, Konya, Manisa, Muğla, Tekirdağ, Siirt, Muş and Çorum.
Reportedly, Turkish authorities froze 6,314 bank accounts suspected of handling illegal betting flows during the World Cup final. Istanbul prosecutors coordinated the operation.
Istanbul’s 11th Heavy Penal Court issued a new arrest warrant for Papara founder Ahmet Faruk Karslı after the prosecutor’s office challenged his release. Prosecutors allege Papara’s payment network processed about TRY12 billion linked to illegal betting between 2021 and 2023; Karslı and the company deny wrongdoing, and the case remains before the courts.
Turkish authorities detained 121 people pending trial in an illegal betting investigation spanning 39 provinces on 3 November. Reports said investigators initially targeted 194 suspects and arrested 169; 45 were released under judicial supervision and three without restrictions. Police used the AVCI analysis system to examine online communications and identify possible links among suspects.
It was reported that Turkish authorities seized TRY17.75bn in action against illegal betting. Interior ministers also pledged at a panel the previous week to address gambling addiction and growing illegal gambling activity.