Türkiye's Deputy Prime Minister and sports minister Mehmet Ali Sahin announced Friday that he intends to close a gap in the country's penal code by adding a provision that would make match-fixing a criminal offense. Speaking to the newspaper Milliyet, he said he expects such legislation to be introduced in October, following discussions with Justice Minister Cemil Cicek.
Currently, Turkish prosecutors and courts have no authority over match-fixing cases. All such matters fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Football Association (TFA).
Sahin's push comes after Türkiye's media reported a wave of match-rigging allegations involving several clubs, including top-tier sides, stretching back years. The reports were partly prompted by the high-profile football corruption scandal in Italy.
The TFA is already investigating two separate incidents. One concerns allegations that first-division club Denizlispor manipulated a match last season to avoid relegation. The other involves claims that a senior TFA official offered to arrange a result to keep Samsunspor in the top flight.
At a meeting on Wednesday, the TFA approved stricter penalties for match-fixing, including point deductions and relegation for clubs found to have cheated.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in August 2006, in its own words.