Former Fenerbahçe president Sadettin Saran denied growing, using or supplying drugs as he appeared in court Wednesday in an ongoing case in which prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of at least 10 years for him and broadcaster Ela Rümeysa Cebeci on charges of drug trafficking or supplying narcotics.
Saran, a businessman who attended the hearing at the Istanbul 4th High Criminal Court without being detained, rejected the allegations and said his private messages with Cebeci had been taken out of context.
He said their conversations on WhatsApp referred to a film they had watched together and were intended as jokes.
Saran, who declared a monthly income of TL 6 million ($140,000) during the identity verification process, said he had never grown, sold or supplied the substance mentioned in the indictment.
“I am saddened and ashamed to be here,” Saran told the court, describing the hearing as potentially one of the most shameful days of his life.
Swearing on his honor, dignity and his daughter, he insisted that he had neither used nor obtained the substance.
“I have never used it, sold it or grown it. Nothing was found in my garden or at my home,” he said.
Saran acknowledged that he had previously been romantically involved with Cebeci but maintained that their exchanges about drugs were jokes rather than evidence of criminal activity.
Asked by the presiding judge about conversations in which the two discussed drugs, Saran said he had made certain remarks simply to keep Cebeci interested.
“I said it just for the sake of saying it, so that she would come,” he said.
Saran disputes evidence from home search and hair samples
Saran also addressed a search of his house in Çanakkale, saying the investigating prosecutor had initially told him that something had been found there.
He said he was surprised by the claim and contacted a woman who was at the house to ask what might have been discovered. According to Saran, she explained that something was spread around the property when bees appeared and that meat had been cooked there.
Saran said the explanation he provided to investigators was subsequently shown to be unrelated to the allegations.
He argued that he would not have discussed growing drugs in messages if he had actually been involved in such activity.
The businessman also disputed the significance of a drug finding in his hair samples, suggesting that traces could have been transferred through physical contact during his Fenerbahçe presidential election campaign, when he shook hands with numerous people.
“I have never even seen this substance in my life, let alone used it,” he told the court.
Several people who served in Fenerbahçe's administration during Saran's presidency, along with employees of his company and members of his family, attended the hearing as observers.
The court also heard testimony from Hasan D., who handled construction and landscaping work at Saran's property.
The witness said Saran did not stay at the Çanakkale house regularly and visited only occasionally.
Hasan D. said he opened the property to gendarmerie officers when they arrived to conduct a search. He recalled that the officers had not found anything during the search and said he left the house after the operation.
He also testified that he had never seen drugs being cultivated on the property.
Cebeci did not attend the hearing. Her lawyer submitted an excuse on the grounds that she was ill, and the court accepted the request.
The judges postponed the next hearing until Nov. 4, when Cebeci is expected to present her defense.
The court also withdrew its decision to hear Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk as a witness, ruling that his testimony would not contribute to determining the merits of the case.
According to the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the investigation into Cebeci began on Dec. 18, 2025, following statements by a confidential witness identified as Kanarya.
Investigators later examined Cebeci's phone and found extensive messages with Saran, whose number was saved in her contacts. The exchanges were assessed as relating to drug use, supply and cultivation, prompting prosecutors to separate the cases involving the two defendants.
The indictment rejects their argument that the messages and audio recordings were metaphorical jokes, casual banter or references to dialogue from films and television series. Prosecutors said the available evidence did not support their explanations.
According to the indictment, the exchanges indicated that Saran and Cebeci supplied drugs to each other, used the substances together and subsequently discussed obtaining more.
Prosecutors also cited drug findings in hair samples taken from both defendants.
The indictment seeks prison sentences of at least 10 years for each defendant on charges of trafficking or supplying narcotic or stimulant substances.
