Prosecutors in Istanbul have ordered the detention of 25 prominent figures, including singers, actors and media personalities, as part of a wide-ranging narcotics investigation.
On Thursday, the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the ongoing probe targets individuals suspected of buying, possessing or using illegal drugs or stimulants.
According to local media reports, police have carried out searches, raids and forensic examinations, and collected biological samples from suspects as part of the investigation.
Authorities said police raids uncovered various illegal substances, including marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine, along with syringes and other drug paraphernalia.
Among those for whom detention warrants have been issued are singer Mabel Matiz and actress Serenay Sarıkaya.
Sarıkaya, known for her roles in several popular Turkish television series, said she was abroad when the investigation became public and pledged to return to Türkiye to comply with the warrant.
Other high-profile individuals named in the probe include singers Berkay Şahin, Tan Taşçı and Niran Ünsal, actors Onur Tuna and Feyza Civelek, and rapper Blok3, whose real name is Hakan Aydın.
Taşçı, in a social media post, said he had turned himself in to police in the Turkish city of Bodrum after learning of the allegations from news reports.
According to local media, 17 people have so far been detained, while efforts to locate others remain ongoing.
None of the allegations, however, has yet been proven in court.
The latest wave of detention orders is part of a broader anti-drug operation that has, in recent months, ensnared several prominent figures in the worlds of business, media and entertainment.
The ongoing crackdown has included raids on alleged drug-production sites and dealers, some of whom reportedly stand accused of smuggling drugs, particularly cocaine, into the country by sea.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and inte...
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and international issues.
Afghan authorities suspended BBC FM radio broadcasts nationwide on Tuesday (13 October), citing repeated but unspecified violations. The BBC said it was working with officials to restore the service.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reaffirmed his support for Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks, as U.S. President Donald Trump considers involving Türkiye in the Yemen conflict.
Pakistan and Oman called for restraint and diplomacy on Wednesday as they discussed the U.S.-Iran conflict, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and threats to vital Gulf shipping routes, with Muscat praising Islamabad’s mediation efforts.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is in Baku for the seventh Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit on 14–15 October, as Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan seek to turn stronger political ties into deeper economic cooperation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment