The head of Turkey's football refereeing body and six other individuals have been arrested on suspicion of interfering in refereeing procedures, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced on Tuesday. Ferhat Gundogdu, president of the refereeing body, and his deputy were among those detained.

In a social media post, Gurlek stated that claims regarding interference in the formation of referee classifications, assignments, scoring, appointment processes, and rule examinations are under investigation. Searches were conducted at the suspects' residences, workplaces, and offices.

"We will steadfastly continue the fight for clean football so that claims undermining trust in Turkish football are clarified, those responsible are held accountable before the law, and football is remembered for the effort, struggle, and sportsmanship on the field," Gurlek added.

The arrests come a year after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees over an illegal betting scandal. The TFF investigation found that 371 out of the country's 571 referees officiating in professional leagues had betting accounts, with 152 actively placing bets.

In that sprawling scandal, 29 people were arrested, including 14 footballers, one of whom was Fenerbahce's international midfielder Mert Hakan Yandas. Authorities suspended more than 1,000 players, including 25 from the first division. However, Gurlek did not draw any link between last year's betting scandal and the current investigation.

Source: www.aljazeera.com