İstanbul prosecutors on Friday targeted 25 suspects in raids across eight provinces over allegations that they sold explicit content online and then laundered the proceeds, seizing assets valued at about 300 million Turkish lira ($6.9 million).
The operation was coordinated by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which said a unit focused on terrorism financing and money laundering led the probe. Prosecutors said that the raids included İstanbul, Ankara and Antalya. Authorities detained 16 people, according to Turkish media.
According to the prosecutors, the suspects attracted followers through sexually explicit posts on public social media accounts, then directed users to paid platforms including OnlyFans and private channels on the Telegram messaging app. The prosecutor’s office said the suspects invested the proceeds in assets, including real estate and vehicles as well as bitcoin, gold and products offered by banks, which it described as part of an effort to launder criminal income.
OnlyFans is a subscription platform that allows creators to charge users for access to content and is known for adult material. Authorities have blocked access to OnlyFans in Turkey since June 7, 2023, following the issuance of a court order that cited content deemed contrary to public morality and family values. Prosecutors said the suspects accessed the site via VPN, which can route internet traffic through other locations and are often used to bypass access blocks.
In Turkey, prosecutors and courts can order access blocks on websites and social media platforms. Such orders are typically implemented by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), the state telecom regulator, through internet service providers.