Eight more people, including an actor, have been detained as part of an ongoing drug investigation targeting figures from the television, film and media sectors, the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said.
The detentions were carried out on Friday morning in an investigation led by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into allegations ranging from drug trafficking to drug use and prostitution-related offenses.
Actor Ezgi Eyüpoğlu, 37, was detained on allegations of purchasing drugs for personal use, while the other detainees face accusations of manufacturing and trafficking drugs and encouraging or facilitating prostitution.
Searches conducted at the suspects’ residences reportedly resulted in the seizure of multiple weapons and drugs. Police said they confiscated one unlicensed handgun, one licensed handgun, one blank-firing gun, blank cartridges and live ammunition. Authorities also reported finding 111 capsules of the prescription drug Lyrica, additional narcotic pills, crystal-form drugs, cartridges and liquids believed to contain narcotics, as well as drug paraphernalia.
Police also seized suspected counterfeit US currency, including bundles of blank paper designed to resemble stacks of $100 bills and partially cut fake dollar notes, according to prosecutors.
The latest detentions follow earlier operations this week in which several well-known figures were briefly taken into custody and later released, including singer Aleyna Tilki, actor İrem Sak, social media influencer Danla Bilic and a woman named Mümine Senna Yıldız.
The case is part of a broader drug investigation in İstanbul that has recently seen several television news presenters detained for questioning or arrested on suspicion of drug use.
Television presenter Ela Rümeysa Cebeci was arrested earlier on charges of “facilitating drug use” after a drug test reportedly returned positive. Journalist Mehmet Akif Ersoy was also arrested in the case last week.
Social media influencer and business owner Sercan Yaşar was released after testifying to prosecutors and benefiting from the provisions of effective remorse.
The prosecutor’s office said the investigation is ongoing.
Unlike many recent high-profile criminal investigations in Turkey, this probe has not targeted outspoken critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan but has instead focused on media figures and business circles widely seen as close to the government.
Prosecutors have also relied heavily on the gendarmerie, a branch of the Interior Ministry that typically operates in rural areas, rather than İstanbul’s police force. Analysts and opposition commentators say the choice reflects concerns about potential leaks from within the police force.