Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 14 more people, including well-known actors and musicians, as part of a drug investigation targeting public figures in İstanbul, the DHA news agency reported.
Prosecutors issued detention warrants for 14 suspects, including rapper Norm Ender, singer Mert Demir, actors Burak Deniz, Hafsanur Sancaktutan, Serra Pirinç, Büşra Pekin and Ahsen Eroğlu, celebrity chef Somer Sivrioğlu and social media influencer Ogün Alibaş, according to a statement from the İstanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The prosecutor’s office said the operation is being conducted as part of an investigation into alleged drug-related offenses involving public figures, including purchasing, using or supplying narcotics.
The probe has expanded with Thursday’s operation after prosecutors said they had obtained additional evidence.
Simultaneous search and seizure operations were carried out on Thursday as part of the investigation conducted in coordination with the provincial gendarmerie’s narcotics unit.
The statement said 11 suspects had been detained, while two others remained at large and one was abroad.
Sivrioğlu, who is currently out of the country, said in a statement on social media that he had been invited to give testimony as part of the investigation and was returning to Turkey from Australia, where he has been for about three months.
“As a citizen who loves his country, I would be honored to fulfill any responsibility in investigations carried out by our state in the fight against crime,” he said, signaling his willingness to cooperate with authorities.
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 industries.
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.