A Turkish court has jailed nine suspects in a narcotics investigation targeting public figures in İstanbul, while several well-known celebrities, including actress Beren Saat and singer Kenan Doğulu, were released under judicial supervision, Turkish media reported.
The suspects had been detained on Thursday in an operation carried out by İstanbul police as part of an investigation led by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Before their court appearances, they were taken to the Council of Forensic Medicine, where blood and hair samples were collected.
Among those detained in the operation were also singer Ayşe Hatun Önal, social media personality Kerimcan Durmaz, singer Berdan Mardini, musician Ozan Doğulu, singer Yaşar İpek, Portugese model Tessy Ramos Correira, actor Enis Arıkan, television personality Selin Ciğerci and Oğuzhan Beker, the son of Republican People’s Party (CHP) Ankara MP Adnan Beker.
Following questioning at the courthouse, nine of the suspects were arrested pending trial while the others were released under judicial supervision.
The investigation concerns allegations of drug use and facilitating the use of narcotics, according to Turkish media reports. No detailed allegations against the individuals have been made public.
There were conflicting figures in reports on the number of people detained and the number of court decisions issued in the case.
While earlier reports said 23 people had been taken into custody, subsequent reports said courts had ordered nine arrests and judicial supervision measures for 16 others. A detailed official list of the court decisions is still pending.
The operation was the latest phase in an ongoing celebrity-focused narcotics investigation that began in October and has since expanded to include actors, musicians, journalists, television presenters and social media figures.
In a previous phase of the investigation in May, Turkish prosecutors ordered the detention of 25 public figures.
The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said at the time that the operation was launched after tips, digital materials and other evidence led prosecutors to conclude there was reasonable suspicion that some suspects had used narcotic or stimulant substances.
Among the names linked to the May phase were singer Mabel Matiz, actor Onur Tuna, actress Feyza Civelek, singer Berkay Şahin, actress Serenay Sarıkaya and journalist Mirgün Cabas. Several suspects were taken for forensic testing, including blood, hair and urine samples, while some were later released.
The case has drawn intense media coverage in Turkey because of the prominence of the people involved. Critics say high-profile drug investigations are often widely publicized, while law enforcement has faced questions over whether it is doing enough to target larger trafficking networks.
The investigation has also renewed debate over Turkey’s broader narcotics problem.
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.