The Turkish government has cracked down on illegal betting operations in an investigation covering 16 provinces.
Writing on X, interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said 27 people, including some social media influencers, have been apprehended for their roles in the operations.
A “large number of digital materials” were seized as part of the probe, the minister said.
“Illegal betting is a crime that threatens not only the future of individuals but also society,” Yerlikaya added.
The exposure of the illegal betting activity is the result of four months of work by Turkey’s Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Cyber Crimes Department of the General Directorate of Security.
The Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into social media users with a high following and their links with advertising illegal betting and gaming sites.
The suspects were caught across provinces including İstanbul, İzmir, Gaziantep, Adana and Mersin.
The probe also covered provinces such as Agri, Antalya, Batman, Corum and Diyarbakir.
