[94570] Turkey: Large-scale operation against illegal gambling network in 7 provinces

Enforcement operation against fraud and gambling networks in Turkey

Turkish Deputy Minister of Justice, Akın Gürlek, announced today, June 22, 2026, the initiation of legal proceedings against 49 suspects for involvement in an extensive network of illegal gambling and online fraud. According to gdh, the operation focused on entities that mediated financial transfers for gambling websites and used false advertisements to defraud citizens.

The scope of the network's financial activity, as reported by Gündem Hattı, is estimated at 10 billion, 394 million, 834 thousand, and 144 Turkish lira, which passed through approximately 1.44 million different transactions. The arrests were made during a large-scale and coordinated operation in 7 different provinces across the country.

The operation was conducted under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor's Office in the city of Mardin, in cooperation with the local police cyber units. According to Gündem Haber, Minister Gürlek stated that "the fight against illegal gambling, sophisticated fraud, and money laundering will continue to be conducted with determination." The Minister expressed his gratitude to the Mardin Police, the MASAK unit (Financial Crimes Investigation Board), and all security forces that took part in dismantling the network.

The sources that covered the event, including Haber Gündem, present the information as an official report based on statements from the Turkish Ministry of Justice. These publications align with the official government narrative regarding the war on economic and digital crime.