Turkish authorities continue arresting famous figures in illegal betting crackdown

Famous social media influencer Kerimcan Durmaz and actor Atakan Yılmaz have been arrested by a Turkish court on charges of “promoting illegal betting advertisements” in a recent crackdown on many known figures.

Wednesday January 08 2025 11:57 pm

Duvar English

As part of the ongoing investigations into illegal betting initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, social media influencer Kerimcan Durmaz and actor Atakan Yılmaz were arrested on Jan. 8.

In the past weeks, legal actions have been taken against TV persona Mehmet Ali Erbil, famous pop singer Serdar Ortaç, and several other social media influencers, resulting in the arrest of many.

The prosecutor's office has initiated an investigation into actor Yılmaz on the grounds that he “placed advertisements within his videos and posts, as well as engaged in activities that heavily encouraged and promoted illegal betting.”

The 30-year-old actor, who has played roles in many TV series and movies throughout his acting career, also has a presence on social media.

A probe was also launched against social media influencer Durmaz due to allegations that he displayed illegal betting advertisements on the screen behind him during a performance he held in Malta.

In his statement, he claimed that he was unaware of the advertisement running behind him and that he did not share such content on his social media.

Durmaz has 3.8 million followers on Instagram and shares videos on YouTube.

Regarding the investigation, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has stated, "Actions related to illegal betting activities have been determined to cause significant financial losses to the country's economy, and, especially due to the situation that encourages young people to earn easy money, they have also caused considerable damage to the social order."

The prosecutor's office defines the prosecuted figures as individuals who are "high-profile social media users" in various categories such as sports, beauty, travel, fashion, technology, health, or entertainment.

Red notice issued against former footballer

In the recent crackdown on illegal gambling and betting, a red notice has been issued for former footballer Batuhan Karadeniz.

According to a report by Dinçer Gökçe from television channel HalkTV, it was revealed that Karadeniz fled abroad shortly before the investigation. A request for an Interpol red notice was made to apprehend him.

It is reported that Karadeniz has fled to Georgia.