Support from MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli to TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli conveyed a message of support by sending "flowers" to Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu.

In the statement made by TFF, it was stated that Bahçeli gave the message 'you are not alone' to Hacıosmanoğlu.

Hacıosmanoğlu also thanked Bahçeli and said, "I would like to thank my esteemed Chairman, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, for this meaningful support and kiss his hands."

TFF SHARED IT BY "CLOSING COMMENTS"

It did not go unnoticed that TFF made the relevant post by "closing comments".

WHAT HAPPENED?

A simultaneous operation was organized in Istanbul, Ankara, Elazığ and Manisa on September 29 within the scope of the "Referees file" investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Bureau. The investigation focuses on accusations of "torture", "forgery of official documents", "abuse of trust" and "illegal seizure of personal data".

During the operation, President of the Central Referee Board Ferhat Gündoğdu, TFF Active Referees Association President Ferdi Karadoruk, former MHK Deputy Chairman Ahmet Şahin, former MHK member Yunus Yıldırım, TFF Education and 4th Region Manager Sebahattin Şahin, Alican Sağlar and Emre Kosif were detained. It was announced that open source research, MASAK and HTS records, complainant and witness statements, and expert findings were examined in the file.

In the later stages of the investigation, upon examination of the seized digital materials and MASAK records, Super League referee Yasin Kol and Super League assistant referee Göktuğ Hazar Erel were also detained.

It was reported that the two referees were accused of violating Law No. 7258, participating in forgery of documents and abuse of office.

Of the seven people detained in the first operation, Ferhat Gündoğdu, Ferdi Karadoruk, Yunus Yıldırım, Alican Sağlar and Emre Kosif were arrested.

Ahmet Şahin and Sebahattin Şahin were released with a judicial control measure in the form of a travel ban.

'TORPIL' CORRESPONDENCE HAS BEEN ENTERED IN THE FILE

In the digital materials of the President of the Central Referee Board, Ferhat Gündoğdu, his correspondence with TFF President İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu was also revealed.

In the messages included in the investigation file, it was seen that the names regarding the referees' classification and promotion processes were shared between Hacıosmanoğlu and Gündoğdu.

In the message dated December 23, 2024 in the file, it was seen that Hacıosmanoğlu sent Gündoğdu a list titled "Adding some referees promoted to the Regional League from Istanbul to the promotion list in return for their favors or work done for the association."

The list included various allegations against Ayberk Burhan, Ali Serdar Kankaş, Hüseyin Hakan Bodur, Yiğit Karabudak, Alican Sağlar, Aykut Özçelik, Kaan Taha Duman and Ceyhun Canbay. It was claimed that some referees received support for promotion due to their work for the Turkish Active Football Referees and Observers Association, their closeness with the association managers, family ties or personal relationships.

The list in question was not the only one included in the messaging. It was seen that Hacıosmanoğlu sent the information of the referee named Mehmet Şenkaya to Gündoğdu on December 19, 2024 and said, "To the upper class assistant referee in the referee classification that will be held at half-time."

Gündoğdu sent a message to Hacıosmanoğlu on December 29, "Good morning, President, I hope you are better. I have prepared the promotion lists. I will present them to you whenever you ask."

In the correspondence dated December 31, the request for support for the referee named Salih Çetin to be promoted to the Regional League was conveyed to Gündoğdu by Hacıosmanoğlu. In his response to this, Gündoğdu was seen saying, "But apart from what we talked about with you, I left it to the normal fair process, regardless of who it came from. Some of them already deserved it and got in."

STATEMENT FROM HACIOSMANOĞLU

TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, in his statement following the investigation into the referees, said that the Turkish Football Federation would act in cooperation with the relevant institutions of the state.

Hacıosmanoğlu said, "We will be in full cooperation with all relevant institutions of our state to carry out the process in a healthy way" and stated that all necessary steps will be taken.

Responding to the criticisms against him and the TFF management, Hacıosmanoğlu said, "No one should try to attribute the rottenness and immorality of the 100-plus-year-old Turkish Football Federation and the 15, 20, maybe 30 years of football to me and my friends on the board during my two-year presidency."

Hacıosmanoğlu also said, "I have always stood tall throughout my life," and that their silence during the investigation process should not be interpreted differently.