Turkish football has been rocked by a major refereeing scandal after authorities detained Ferhat Gundogdu, chairman of the Turkish Central Referee Committee (MHK), together with six other individuals as part of an investigation into alleged harassment and the falsification of official documents.The operation, directed by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office, was carried out simultaneously across Istanbul, Ankara, Elazig and Manisa. At the centre of the investigation are alleged irregularities surrounding the way referees are evaluated, classified and selected for appointments.🚨🇹🇷 HUGE REFEREE SCANDAL IN TURKISH FOOTBALLTürkiye’s refereeing chief Ferhat Gündoğdu and six other refereeing officials have been DETAINED as part of an investigation into alleged workplace harassment and forgery of official documents. The allegations being investigated… pic.twitter.com/fZHzHMcpSr— Turk Scout (@ScouTurk) September 29, 2026 According to reports in the Turkish media, investigators are examining claims that some referees were removed from consideration without objective or legitimate grounds, while others were deliberately overlooked for appointments. Authorities are also investigating possible preferential treatment of certain officials, as well as alleged interference in the processes used to assess and appoint referees.The investigation has also reportedly uncovered concerns over unauthorised alterations to referee and observer lists compiled in 2022 and 2024, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca.Several prominent figures were among those detained alongside Gundogdu. They include Ferdi Karadoruk, head of the Istanbul delegation within the Referees and Observers Association, Ahmet Sahin, a former vice-chairman of the Central Referee Committee, former committee member Yunus Yildirim and current committee member Sabahattin Sahin. Alican Saglar and Emre Kucuk, both officials within the Istanbul Referees Association, were also taken into custody.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Investigators reportedly found relevant exchanges on the "WhatsApp" account on Karadoruk’s phone, with the conversations focusing on referee lists and decisions concerning the treatment of individual officials.In one exchange, four referees were mentioned before one participant wrote: "Let's delete these four", followed by responses stating: "Let's be careful" and "Don't delete them immediately".Another conversation reportedly involved Karadoruk discussing one of the referees, with the exchange eventually including the phrase: "Since he won't bow down.. let's cut off his head and be done with it".🚨 Following the detention of Central Referee Board chairman Ferhat Gundogdu, referee Yasin Kol is back in the spotlight.Last season, Kol officiated 5 major derbies in a row.⚠️ Fitness test controversy⚠️ Questions over his English⚠️ No FIFA badge⚠️ Previously demoted… pic.twitter.com/TyjEQcxCem— Goal Gossip (@Goal_Gossip1) September 29, 2026 The uncovered messages have sparked unprecedented outrage among the club and the Turkish public, while the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office has warned that the investigation could implicate dozens more high-profile names from the world of sport.##NAJAVA_MECA_9995898##