The Bakırköy District Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul has ordered the detention of 25 celebrities, including musicians, actors and media personalities, as part of an expansion of the anti-drug investigation targeting public figures which was launched late last year and caused a major scandal in Turkey. Among the names included in this new operation are the Turkish singer Mabel Matiz, the actress Feyza Civelek, the businessman Volkan Bahçekapalı (former son-in-law of the famous coach Fatih Terim), the actor and model Onur Tuna and the singer Berkay Şahin, amongst others.
According to the investigation led by the public prosecutor’s office, which was launched following a tip, an analysis of digital materials and various information gathered, there were reasonable grounds to suspect that several celebrities were using drugs and stimulants. In this context, teams from the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command carried out a simultaneous operation from 7:00 am yesterday at 25 addresses: 24 of them in the Istanbul districts of Beşiktaş, Sarıyer, Beyoğlu, Kağıthane and Üsküdar, and one more in Muğla (on Turkey’s west coast), reported the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
During the operation, the following were detained: Mabel Matiz (real name Fatih Karaca), Feyza Civelek, Volkan Bahçekapalı, Onur Tuna, Berkay Şahin, Osman Haktan Canevi, Aslıhan Turanlı, Kübra İmren Siyahdemir, Mehmet Rahşan, Cansu Tekin, Özgür Deniz Cellat, Tarık Tunca Bakır, Aycan Yağcı, Tuğçe Postoğlu, Eda Dora, Hanzade Gürkanlar and Yasemin İkbal. After undergoing the standard medical checks, the detainees were taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for the collection of hair and blood samples.
Ecstasy tablets and other narcotic substances found at the home of a famous doctor
In addition, Turkish authorities carried out searches of the suspects’ homes; specifically, at the home of the well-known doctor and cosmetic specialist Mehmet Rahşan, eight ecstasy tablets, 26 grams of narcotic substances, a precision scale, two e-cigarettes containing cannabis, three sweets allegedly containing drugs, an empty syringe and two empty airtight bags were seized. One gram of marijuana was also found at the home of the well-known influencer and manager Aycan Yağcı.
Detention warrants were also issued for other individuals named in the investigation file, some of whom were not at home at the time or were abroad. Among them are the actress and model Serenay Sarıkaya, the actress Yağmur Ünal, the journalist and TV presenter Mirgün Sırrı Cabas, the Turkish rapper Hakan Aydın (better known as Blok3) and the singer-songwriter Niran Ünsal.
The full list of individuals for whom detention warrants were issued therefore includes the following names:
- Serenay Sarıkaya
- Berkay Şahin
- Tan Taşcı
- Yağmur Ünal
- Mirgün Sırrı Cabas
- Hakan Aydın (Blok3)
- Fatih Karaca (Mabel Matiz)
- Feyza Civelek
- Niran Ünsal
- Volkan Bahçekapalı
- Onur Tuna
- Osman Haktan Canevi
- Aslıhan Turanlı
- Eren Kesimer
- Kübra İmren Siyahdemir
- Mehmet Rahşan
- Cansu Tekin
- Özgür Deniz Cellat
- Yasemin İkbal
- Tarık Tunca Bakır
- Hanzede Gürkanlar
- Aycan Yağcı
- Tuğçe Postoğlu
- Eda Dora
- Semiha Bezek
According to information reported by the Turkish press, actress Serenay Sarıkaya is believed to be abroad and has already announced her intention to return to Turkey, whilst Mirgün Sırrı Cabas plans to travel to Istanbul after having travelled to Izmir following the death of his father. Efforts to locate Niran Ünsal in Muğla continue, whilst rapper Hakan Aydın (Blok3) subsequently went to the gendarmerie of his own accord to give a statement. Investigations into Yağmur Ünal, Eren Kesimer and Semiha Bezek are also continuing.
Prosecutors seek 65 years for former Habertürk news director
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the former news director of Habertürk TV, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who was previously arrested during the same investigation, has been formally charged with “establishing and leading a criminal organisation”, “aggravated sexual assault” in 11 separate cases, “drug trafficking or supply” and “facilitating drug use” by the prosecution, which is seeking a sentence of up to 65 years and three months in prison for him.
This new wave of detentions forms part of a wide-ranging anti-drug operation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in October last year against well-known celebrities and public figures from the worlds of entertainment and the media, which has resulted in dozens of arrests and investigations into individuals accused of possession, consumption and sale of narcotic substances, as well as the promotion of prostitution.
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
