According to the MASAK report examining the accounts of referee Yasin Kol, who was detained in the “Referees file” investigation in Istanbul, there were outflows of 72.1 million lira, inflows of 62.5 million lira, and a total transaction volume of 135 million lira across 5 thousand 978 transactions between 2012 and 2026. While the transaction volume increased after 2020, outflows of 40.8 million lira were recorded in 2026 against inflows of 22.3 million lira.
It was stated that there were 50 accounts and 41 IBANs at 11 banks in Kol’s name, and that he worked as a “security guard” at a university between March 2018 and August 2026. Of the 25 million 57 thousand 733 lira in external-source inflows during the 2018-2026 period, 6 million 883 thousand lira came from the TFF and 2.5 million lira from the university; the two institutions’ share was approximately 37.45%. A total of 15 million 674 thousand lira came from individuals and other institutions.
The report stated that 50 transfers involving 64 people sharing the same names as referees officiating the same matches took place between 3 days before and 2 days after the matches, and that 47 of them were payments ranging from 100 lira to 5 thousand lira to assistant and fourth referees. The investigation is continuing into the allegations of “torment,” “forgery of official documents,” “abuse of trust,” and “unlawful acquisition of personal data.”
Why it matters
The MASAK review shows that the investigation is not limited to match officiating, and that possible links between refereeing activities and banking transactions are also being assessed. Money transfers made around the dates of matches involving referees who officiated the same fixtures have led the investigation to examine their relationships with other officials as well. In addition to payments from TFF and the university, amounts transferred by individuals and other institutions have made distinguishing the sources of the money one of the investigation’s key areas of focus. However, it has not yet become clear which transactions these movements correspond to or whether they support the charges included in the case file; the report serves as one of the financial bases of the ongoing judicial review.
Background
MASAK is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: in the last 90 days, we published a report in which this name appeared; that article is dated September 25, 2026.