Turkey's football match fixing trial kicks off

Feb 14, 2012, 10:11 GMT

Istanbul - The trial of 93 people charged with fixing the results of matches in the top two divisions of the Turkish football league started on Tuesday in a temporary court house, an indoor basketball stadium outside Istanbul.

The 93 were arrested last year during a still ongoing investigation which has divided Turkish public opinion.

They include Aziz Yildirim the chairman of Istanbul's Fenerbahce, one of Turkey's most successful teams and Olgun Peker, the former President of second league team Giresunspor, along with officials from at least six other clubs, match officials and 14 players.

The 93 face a slate of charges including allegations of establishing an 'armed gang' with the intention of fixing the results of football matches, and face sentences of anything up to 115 years in prison if found guilty.

All have denied the charges against them.

The case focuses on up to 19 matches in Turkey's top tier Super League and the second division during the 2010-11 season.

Fenerbahce controversially won the national title, on goal difference from second placed Trabzonspor, having not lost a game during the second half of the season.

Following the opening of the investigation in July last year, Turkey's national football federation bowed to pressure from the European body UEFA not to nominate Fenerbahce for this season's Champions' League.

Fenerbahce's place was taken by second placed Trabzonspor.

Turkey's state news agency Anatolian reported that 48 of the 93 suspects were present in court on Tuesday, including Yildirim and Peker, who have remained in jail since their arrests last year, and several former and current players who have remained free on bail.

The hearing is expected to continue at its present location until Friday and then to be adjourned until February 21 when it will continue in a courthouse in Istanbul.

Footage on Turkey's NTV Spor TV channel showed hundreds of Fenerbahce fans waving flags and placards outside the courthouse and outside the club's stadium.