Sadettin Saran, chairman of Fenerbahçe Sports Club, was questioned on Saturday as a suspect in an ongoing drug investigation conducted by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Anka news agency reported.
After testifying to the prosecutor, Saran, 61, was referred to the Council of Forensic Medicine, where blood and hair samples were taken for drug testing, Turkish media reported.
Saran was later referred to a court for judicial supervision and was released under a travel ban.
Prosecutors are investigating allegations of obtaining illegal drugs and facilitating drug use.
Saran, who was abroad when prosecutors ordered a search of his home on Friday, returned to Turkey overnight on a private jet to testify.
He arrived at İstanbul’s main courthouse after being greeted by a group of Fenerbahçe supporters at Atatürk Airport’s general aviation terminal. His questioning reportedly lasted about two hours.
In a statement the Fenerbahçe club described the allegations against Saran as “unverified, baseless and lacking in any legal foundation,” calling them an attempt to discredit him.
The club urged supporters to attend Saturday’s Eyüpspor–Fenerbahçe match in İstanbul to show solidarity with the club and its chairman.
US-born Saran, a former national swimmer, is chairman of the Saran Group, which operates dozens of companies across several sectors, primarily in media, including broadcaster S Sport and radio networks such as Radyospor.
He was elected Fenerbahçe chairman in September.
The investigation has involved several high-profile figures from the television, film and media sectors, some of whom were questioned, briefly detained or arrested.
Eight people including an actor were detained in İstanbul as part of the same investigation on Friday.
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.