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Ex-Turkey defender faces matchfixing charges

Akyel, part of the Turkey team which came third at the 2002 World Cup, was among 46 people including footballers from the country's top division detained on Wednesday.

His lawyer Sezgin Guraslan said he was being held on charges of fraud and gang membership.

"My belief in justice is total. It will soon become clear that my client is innocent," Guraslan said.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) confirmed an investigation by Istanbul prosecutors was underway and said in a statement it had filed a complaint about suspected match-fixing and manipulation with prosecutors in Istanbul's Sariyer district court last August.

The ring in Bochum involved 200 matches, 29 of which were from Turkey's first division.

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