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.
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