President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has given his biggest public address following his order to Turkish authorities for the eradication of illegal gambling.
Yesterday, Erdoğan addressed Turkish youth for the launch of TRT Genc – Turkey’s new public broadcast channel for young audiences operated by state broadcaster TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation).
The President did not hold back, stating: “The family institution is under attack and under siege like never before. From television series to digital games, from social media to mobile phones, distorted relationships and harmful habits are being normalised. Almost every phone has unfortunately become a kind of casino.”
Erdoğan identified online betting and illegal gambling, alongside alcohol and drugs, as key drivers of addiction and family breakdown, stating that these activities were now “tearing families apart and costing generations their future.”
“When we examine recent family tragedies in our country, we see that alcohol, online betting, gambling and drugs are at the forefront,” he said. “These evils are among the root causes of divorces, domestic disputes and social collapse.”
The President warned that digital games and entertainment platforms were increasingly being used as gateways into illegal betting, particularly among younger audiences.
“Games that begin as entertainment turn into traps that introduce our youth to the scourge of online betting and gambling,” Erdoğan added.
‘As dangerous as terrorism’
In his strongest remar, Erdoğan stated that addiction, including illegal gambling, had reached a level of harm comparable to terrorism.
“Drug, alcohol, online betting, gambling and cigarette addiction have reached levels that are as destructive as terrorism — if not more,” he said.
“Resources that should go to production, education and healthcare are instead feeding the enemies of humanity.”
While praising the efforts of Turkey’s security forces and judiciary, Erdoğan acknowledged that enforcement alone would not be sufficient. He called for a “spirit of mobilisation” involving families, educators, civil society, universities, political institutions and the media.
Within that framework, Erdoğan positioned TRT Genç as a strategic tool to promote “clean, family-focused content” and counter the influence of unregulated digital platforms.
Youth in revolt
The renewed crackdown follows a challenging period for the AKP government in 2025, after a series of media investigations highlighted rising levels of youth gambling addiction, alongside reports by Yeşilay (the Green Crescent) detailing the scale of gambling-related harms among young adults.
Those disclosures intensified political and public pressure on Ankara, particularly as illegal offshore gambling networks continued to target Turkish consumers through social media, influencers and online gaming channels.
Erdoğan has since pledged to eradicate illegal gambling “by whatever means necessary” ahead of Türkiye’s next general election cycle, expected in 2027 or 2028, positioning the crackdown as a central pillar of the government’s social and security agenda.
“We will not allow our youth to be sacrificed to these networks,” Erdoğan said. “This struggle will continue with determination until illegal gambling is wiped out.”
State wants total control
Erdoğan confirmed that his government, alongside Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, has enacted new amendments to the Penal Code aimed at strengthening criminal sanctions against illegal gambling organisers, facilitators and associated financial intermediaries.
The reforms sit within a broader enforcement framework led by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). From 1 February, MASAK will assume direct supervisory authority over financial transactions in high-risk sectors, including gambling, with expanded powers to monitor payment systems, digital wallets and suspicious transaction flows.
“We are fully aware of the threat,” Erdoğan said. “As a government guided by the principle ‘let the people live so that the state may live’, we are determined to fight all forms of addiction with resolve.”
Erdoğan using every weapon…
According to insights shared by 4H Agency with iGamingExpert, Erdoğan and senior AKP leadership increasingly recognise how deeply embedded illegal gambling has become within Turkish society, particularly amongst youth demographics.
As a result, the government has acknowledged that its response cannot rely solely on technical restrictions, payment blocking or law enforcement, but also includes wider social engagement and cultural intervention.
That shift has been reflected in softer, values-based initiatives, including the involvement of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, who has publicly aligned with Yeşilay, describing her outreach as “extending her arm” to protect Türkiye’s “family fortress” against addiction and social harm.
Erdoğan’s direct address to Turkish youth at the launch of TRT Genç signals a further recalibration of strategy, combining enforcement with public messaging as the President seeks to deliver on a key election pledge.
As 4H Agency told SBC: “The convergence of hard enforcement and soft power reflects an acknowledgment within the AKP that regulatory tools alone will not suffice. Illegal gambling is framed as both a financial crime and a social harm. The stakes for delivery in 2026 are higher than ever not only for market integrity, but for political credibility. The AKP’s future increasingly depends on visible results.”
