Ankara mayor to testify as suspect in match-fixing probe

Gökçek, who was the honorary chairman of the Ankara team Ankaragücü until recently, will be one of the most high-profile persons to testify in the investigation. More than 30 people, including Turkish Super League champion Fenerbahçe's Chairman Aziz Yıldırım, have been sent to jail pending trial in the match-fixing probe.

The news on Gökçek's involvement in the investigation came after Yıldırım's lawyer revealed that the prosecutor in charge of the probe had told his client than a person “more famous” than Yıldırım will also testify in the case. Yıldırım made the claim in letters he wrote to President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in which he complained about the mishandling of the case, lawyer Abdullah Kaya said on Wednesday.

Gökçek resigned from his position as the honorary chairman of Ankaragücü last week, saying he no longer has any links to the team except being a fan.

The match-fixing investigation concerns claims that some club officials and footballers had rigged games in the Spor Toto Super League as well as the Bank Asya League 1. Last month police raided homes and football club premises, detaining some 60 people suspected of fixing football matches in the two leagues last season. Many high-ranking football officials from various Turkish clubs, including Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, have been arrested on charges of fraud and match-fixing.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on Monday that no football club will face sanctions at the moment, since the federation decided to wait until the prosecutor presents his indictment, thus lifting the secrecy surrounding the documents and physical evidence being used in the investigation.