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Sebahattin Şirin, a prominent supporter of İstanbul-based football club Galatasaray and leader of the ultrAslan fan group, was detained in İstanbul on Sunday, a day after publicly urging Justice Minister Akın Gürlek to remain impartial amid rumors of government interference in Turkey’s football championship. Şirin was detained as part of an investigation conducted by the Illegal Betting and Sports Crimes Investigation Bureau of the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. He is under investigation for alleged organized black-market ticket fraud, possession and use of illegal drugs, publicly disseminating misleading information and violating Turkey’s Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports. The detention came after Şirin published an open letter to Gürlek on social media on Saturday evening, referring to rumors that a group within the state was seeking to ensure that Galatasaray arch-rival Fenerbahçe, another İstanbul-based football club, wins the Turkish league championship this season. “We have recently been hearing rumors that a group from within our state will make Fenerbahçe champions this season and that your name is also being mentioned as part of this group,” Şirin told Gürlek. “We do not believe this is possible, nor do we want to believe it,” he added, urging the justice minister not to allow his name to become associated with such claims. Sayın Akın Gürlek Uğur Mumcu cinayeti dosyasını yeniden ele almanız üzerine geçtiğimiz günlerde kısa bir yazı kaleme almış görüşlerimi belirtmiştim. Ülkemizi derinden sarsan kilometre taşı sayılabilecek faili meçhul cinayetleri ve olayları yeniden ele almanız çok değerli ve bir… — Sebahattin Şirin (@SebahattinReis) August 8, 2026 Şirin did not provide evidence to support the allegations of government interference in the championship. A Galatasaray spokesperson told BBC Turkish that club executives visited Şirin on Sunday. The spokesperson said the club would not issue an official statement because the matter is before the judiciary, adding, “We have full confidence in the Turkish justice system.” Founded in 2001 by Alpaslan Dikmen, ultrAslan is one of Galatasaray’s largest organized supporter groups. Şirin took over its leadership after Dikmen died in a traffic accident in 2008. Gürlek, a former İstanbul chief public prosecutor, was appointed justice minister by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in February. During his tenure as İstanbul’s top prosecutor, he became widely known for investigations targeting opposition politicians, particularly members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Gürlek issued the detention warrant for İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March 2025, shortly before İmamoğlu was named the CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential election. İmamoğlu was subsequently arrested in a move generally seen as politically motivated that triggered Turkey’s largest street protests in more than a decade. Gürlek’s office also pursued cases involving hundreds of CHP members and officials on allegations including corruption, terrorism links and insulting the president. Before becoming İstanbul’s chief prosecutor in October 2024, Gürlek served as a deputy justice minister. Opposition politicians have repeatedly accused him of using the judiciary to target Erdoğan’s political rivals.