Former Galatasaray vice chairman arrested on money laundering charges linked to Turkey's illegal betting investigation

Erden Timur, former Galatasaray vice chairman and real estate developer worth $550 million, has been formally arrested on money laundering charges linked to Turkey’s illegal betting investigation.

Erden Timur’s real estate company, NEF, is believed to have engaged in suspicious transactions involving cryptocurrency platforms.

The arrest is part of a broader investigation that has already led to the arrests of Turkish players, referees, and club executives and caused Galatasaray’s shares to plummet over 20% in two months.

Why was Galatasaray’s former vice chairman arrested?

Turkish authorities have formally arrested Erden Timur, a popular real estate developer and former executive of the Galatasaray football club, on money laundering charges.

Erden Timur, 44, served as vice chairman of the Istanbul-based club until last year, when he stepped down from the board. He was detained last week and formally arrested by an Istanbul court on Tuesday.

Turkey’s state-run news agency, Anadolu, reports that prosecutors believe Timur’s main real estate company, NEF (formally known as Timur Gayrimenkul Gelistirme Yapi ve Yatirim AS), was involved in suspicious financial transactions with other suspects in an illegal betting investigation. These transactions occasionally involved cryptocurrency platforms.

The case is now being handled by judicial units that specifically oversee terror financing and money laundering cases. Timur denied any wrongdoing during his testimony and stated that the transfers being investigated were simply payments made by customers purchasing houses from his firm.

Forbes estimates Timur’s personal wealth at more than $550 million.

On Tuesday, NEF canceled the sale of 250 million lira ($8.5 million) worth of short-term debt, citing “market conditions and recent developments” as the reason. However, the company’s communications agency confirmed that NEF made a 320 million lira payment to investors on a previous debt issue that matured earlier.

Observers consider it the first sign of the immediate financial consequences of his arrest.

In a statement following Timur’s detention, NEF requested that all parties respect the presumption of innocence and the ongoing judicial process. The company has attempted to maintain its business operations despite the legal troubles facing its founder, but the debt sale cancellation suggests the strategy is not going well.

Turkey is cracking down on illegal betting

Turkish authorities have arrested several top Turkish players, referees, and club executives as part of their ongoing illegal betting investigations.

Galatasaray’s shares have slumped more than 20% over the last two months since the betting scandal began to unfold. The club’s rival Fenerbahce has also seen its shares drop approximately 8% during the same period, even without direct links to the investigation.

Meanwhile, the benchmark Turkish index BIST 100 was up 2% during the same timeframe.

Even though the involvement of cryptocurrency platforms in the money laundering allegations against Timur is relatively obscure at the moment, it is pouring fuel to the fire of international concern about the potential misuse of crypto for illegal financial activities.

Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program