An Istanbul court on Wednesday sentenced Fenerbahce Chairman Sadettin Saran to two years and six months in prison after finding him guilty of encouraging illegal gambling activity, the court ruling shows. The decision arrived days before Fenerbahce was due to convene an extraordinary congress to select a new chairman.
The court also convicted Saran's brother, Kenan Saran, concluding both men had been "inciting individuals to engage in illegal betting through advertising or various other means," according to the court’s written ruling.
Local reporting said Sadettin Saran denied any participation in illegal activity during his defense in court.
Saran is a Turkish-American businessman and the founder and chairman of the Saran Group, a diversified conglomerate with stated interests in media, broadcasting, tourism, and defense.
Background and recent developments
Earlier this year authorities briefly detained Saran as part of a separate inquiry into drug use among high-profile Turkish celebrities; he was subsequently released. After that detention, Saran announced he intended to step down from his role at Fenerbahce. The club had announced in March that it would hold an extraordinary congress on June 6-7 to elect his successor.
Turkish law enforcement and sporting bodies have carried out a series of probes into match-fixing and unlawful betting across the country’s professional football leagues. As part of those wider inquiries, the Turkish Football Federation suspended dozens of referees. Several commentators, club officials, and players from top-tier teams were detained or arrested during the investigations.
Former Fenerbahce chairman Aziz Yildirim has declared his intention to run for the club presidency in the upcoming vote. He will face businessman Hakan Safi in the contest as the Istanbul club aims to end a 13-year league title drought. Sadettin Saran is not participating in the election.
What this means for stakeholders
- Fenerbahce’s leadership transition will proceed without Saran as a candidate following the court sentence and his earlier announcement to step down.
- The ruling adds to a series of legal and regulatory actions affecting Turkish professional football, including referee suspensions and detentions of commentators and players tied to separate probes.
- For companies and sectors connected to Saran Group—media, broadcasting, tourism, and defense—the conviction represents reputational and governance uncertainty tied to a high-profile executive.
Note: The reporting is limited to the details provided by the court ruling and local media accounts; it does not include outcomes beyond those specified by the court.