Turkish Referee Chief Ferhat Gündoğdu Detained in Forgery Probe

İstanbul prosecutors detained Central Referee Board (MHK) Chairman Ferhat Gündoğdu and six other referees and observers on Monday in an investigation into forgery in official documents and mobbing. The operation, launched after a complaint filed on September 15, 2025, involved simultaneous raids in İstanbul, Ankara, Elazığ, and Manisa.

The suspects include TFF Active Referees Association Chairman Ferdi Karadoruk, former MHK Deputy Chairman Ahmet Şahin, former MHK member Yunus Yıldırım, MHK member Sebahattin Şahin, and referees association officials Alican Sağlar and Emre Kosif. Authorities cited MASAK financial intelligence, HTS records, witness statements, and expert reports as the basis for the arrests.

“Football is our citizens' shared passion and an important value. The competition on the field must be fair, referee processes transparent.”

Investigators allege that some referees were removed from classification lists without objective justification, while others received preferential treatment. The probe also claims irregular changes were made to referee and observer lists in 2022 and 2024, and that the 2025 Riva rules exam questions and grading process were manipulated to alter results for certain officials.

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek stated that football is a shared national passion and stressed that referee processes must be fair and transparent. The investigation follows years of public criticism from club presidents including Göksel Gümüşdağ, Burak Yılmaz, Ali Koç, and Serdar Adalı, who accused Gündoğdu of protecting suspicious VAR officials and manipulating assignments.