Prosecutor seeks jail for Fenerbahce chairman

ISTANBUL, July 8 (Reuters) - A Turkish prosecutor requested
a court jail the chairman of league champions Fenerbahce pending
trial on charges of match-fixing on Friday, TV reports said, in
an investigation which could result in the club being stripped
of its title. 

The court was expected to rule on the request to imprison
Aziz Yildirim later on Friday. If jailed, he will join 25 people
already remanded in custody on charges of manipulation in 19
matches, which Turkey's prime minister said has stained Turkey's
image. 

Broadcaster CNN Turk said Yildirim was accused of both
match-fixing and of running an illegal group. 

Yildirim was one of 61 people detained in police raids
launched across Turkey on Sunday. His questioning has been
delayed by medical treatment related to heart problems. 

Prosecutors called for him to be jailed after questioning
him on Friday. In questioning at police headquarters on Thursday
he exercised his right to silence, media reports said. 

The Turkish Football Federation is expected to act soon in
response to the allegations without waiting for the outcome of
the judicial investigation. 

Among possible sanctions against Fenerbahce are the loss of
the championship title, exclusion from competitions, relegation
to a lower division and potentially the loss of tens of millions
of dollars in income. Any individuals convicted of match-fixing
could face lengthy prison sentences. 


SHARES PLUNGE 

Shares in Fenerbahce , who won the league for a
record 18th time last season, have lost a third of their value
since news of the police raids emerged. Fenerbahce have denied
involvement in wrongdoing. 

Trabzonspor , runners-up last season, saw their
shares surge some 40 percent in the three days to Thursday on
speculation the league title could be awarded to them, but they
dropped back 7.7 percent on Friday. 

Istanbul police have said they seized eight unlicensed guns
in this week's raids after a probe launched in December produced
evidence of match-fixing in 19 first and second divisions games. 

Out of the 61 detained, 35 have been released though it is
not clear if any of them could still face charges. 

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, a Fenerbahce fan and member
of its congress, has called for a rapid and just outcome to the
investigation, saying the affair was staining the country's
image internationally. 

Those already jailed pending trial include three Fenerbahce
executives, the chairman of Sivasspor, the coach of
Eskisehirspor, Sivasspor's goalkeeper and the former chairmen of
Diyarbakirspor and Giresunspor. 

European soccer's governing body UEFA has set a deadline of
July 15 for confirmation of the team taking part in the third
Champions League qualifying round. Trabzonspor would normally
take that place as runners-up. 

Turkish media have cited allegations in police reports such
as a striker being offered money to not score in a game, a
goalkeeper deliberately failing to prevent a goal and a club
requesting a particular referee for a key derby.