Four suspects were arrested on Thursday in an expanding drug investigation targeting prominent figures in İstanbul, following their detention earlier this week, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had previously ordered the detention of 16 people, 14 of whom were taken into custody on Wednesday in coordinated police raids across the city.
Among them were former Beşiktaş chairman Fikret Orman, former Galatasaray chairman Burak Elmas, businessmen Hakan and Kerim Sabancı and public figures from the fashion and entertainment world.
After completing police procedures, the suspects were referred to the İstanbul Courthouse on Thursday, where prosecutors sought a range of measures including pretrial detention and house arrest.
A criminal court of peace ordered the arrest and pretrial detention of Koray Serenli, Onur Talay, Sezgin Köysüren and Mustafa Tari.
The court released Orman, Elmas, Hakan Sabancı, Kerim Sabancı, former models Didem Soydan and Güzide Duran under judicial supervision measures, imposing international travel bans.
It also put Lütfiye Tuğçe Özbudak, Ferhat Aydın and Mustafa Berhan Perinçekli under house arrest.
One suspect, Onur Bükçü, was released after giving a statement to prosecutors.
The investigation also involves actress Hande Erçel, who had been abroad when the detention warrants were issued.
She returned to Turkey to testify and was released after making a statement, with authorities expected to collect biological samples as part of the probe.
The investigation, conducted by the prosecutor’s office’s smuggling, narcotics and financial crimes bureau, remains ongoing.
Under Turkish law, drug-related offenses such as possession for personal use, facilitating use and trafficking carry varying penalties. While personal use may in some cases result in suspended sentences or treatment, more serious charges can lead to prison terms.
The case is part of a broader series of drug operations launched in İstanbul in recent months that have increasingly involved figures from the television, music and media sectors.
Earlier phases of the investigation saw dozens of suspects detained or arrested on similar charges, with some later released after providing statements and biological samples.
Critics claim that high-profile drug investigations are sometimes widely publicized, while law enforcement fails to sufficiently target large-scale trafficking networks.
According to a 2025 report by the Turkish police, Turkey has moved beyond its traditional role as a transit route for illegal drugs and has increasingly become both a destination market and a production hub, particularly for synthetic substances. The report documented a sharp increase in drug-related operations, with dozens of facilities uncovered in İstanbul alone.
Some also see political undertones in cases involving celebrities, saying they may reflect broader cultural tensions in Turkey under the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been ruling Turkey since 2002.