Landmark rigging case appeal procedure starts

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

An appeal procedure in the landmark Turkish football match-fixing case formally began yesterday with the sending of 129 files to a higher court that will now hear appeals into the verdict of an Istanbul court that oversaw the case.

The Istanbul court had previously ruled that 48 football club officials, players and coaches were involved in attempting to manipulate matches and form an illegal organization.

Fenerbahçe chairman Aziz Yıldırım, board members Şekip Mosturoğlu and İlhan Ekşioğlu, former Beşiktaş coach Tayfur Havutçu, former Beşiktaş official Serdal Adalı, former Eskişehirspor coach Bülent Uygun, and alleged mob leader Olgun Peker are among the high-profile suspects in the case who were sentenced for attempting to manipulate matches in the 2010-2011 Super League season, as well as for being members of the aforementioned illegal organization.