Fenerbahçe president Sadettin Saran was taken into custody late Wednesday as Türkiye’s widening narcotics investigation tightened its grip on the business, media and sports worlds, sending shockwaves through one of the country’s most powerful football institutions just three months into his presidency.
Saran, a prominent Turkish-American media executive and chairman of Saran Holding, was detained by Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command teams as part of an investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
After undergoing a routine health check, he was transferred to the Çağlayan Courthouse on Thursday morning, where he is expected to give testimony before a prosecutor. It marks the second time Saran has been detained in the same probe.
Shortly after the detention, Fenerbahçe Sports Club issued an official statement confirming that Saran was taken into custody from the club’s presidential offices.
The club stressed that the investigation is ongoing under the authority of judicial institutions and emphasized its confidence in the legal process.
“President Sadettin Saran was taken into custody this evening by the Provincial Gendarmerie Command from the Fenerbahçe Presidential Office as part of an ongoing investigation,” the club said. “The process continues within the framework of the rule of law and under the responsibility of the relevant authorities. Our belief is unwavering that our president will overcome this period with composure and resilience.”
The club added that all administrative operations would continue uninterrupted, noting that Saran remains committed to his duties.
Divan Council Chairman Şekip Mosturoğlu, board members, club lawyers and Saran’s legal team were reported to be accompanying him throughout the judicial process.
The investigation centers on allegations of “supplying narcotics,” “facilitating drug use,” and “personal drug use.” A confidentiality order has limited public disclosure, but the case has already drawn in high-profile figures from the media and entertainment sectors and now threatens to cast a long shadow over Fenerbahçe’s administration during a critical sporting season.
Saran, who assumed office in September 2025 after narrowly defeating Ali Koç at an extraordinary general assembly, had first been summoned as a suspect earlier this month while abroad.
Upon his return to Türkiye, gendarmerie teams searched his residence in Istanbul’s Göktürk district and his farm in the Assos region of Çanakkale. Authorities reported that no illegal substances were found during those searches.
He later voluntarily appeared before investigators and was referred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, where blood, urine, nail and hair samples were taken.
While blood, urine and nail tests returned negative, hair analysis reportedly tested positive for cocaine metabolites – a result authorities say may indicate exposure over a longer period.
Saran has categorically denied any drug use, stating in his testimony that he has “never used narcotics” and describing the findings as unfounded.
He was initially released under judicial control, including a travel ban.
The case escalated following the inclusion of digital evidence and witness statements involving television presenter Ela Rümeysa Cebeci, who was detained earlier in December.
Messages and voice recordings exchanged between Cebeci and Saran were entered into the case file, including a conversation from approximately 17 to 18 months ago that prosecutors are scrutinizing for coded references to narcotics.
Saran acknowledged the authenticity of the messages but insisted they were taken out of context, describing them as jokes inspired by a film the pair had watched together.
He told investigators he has no connection whatsoever to drug cultivation or supply, calling the exchanges “ironic humor” between acquaintances.
Cebeci, in an additional voluntary statement to prosecutors, said she was testifying freely and without pressure, stressing her trust in state authorities.
She confirmed that she had a romantic relationship with Saran in 2021, which later ended but evolved into a friendship.
She denied ever selling drugs, identifying herself instead as a past user and admitting to having consumed THC (a crystalline compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis), which she claimed she did not know was illegal in Türkiye due to its legality in some other countries.
She firmly denied using cocaine or synthetic drugs.
Cebeci voluntarily handed over passwords to two mobile phones and requested renewed blood and hair testing.
Her forensic results reportedly showed drug traces, contributing to her continued detention.
Late on Wednesday, prosecutors ordered Saran’s detention once again, citing additional evidence gathered from forensic analyses, digital communications and witness testimonies.
He spent the night in custody before being transported to the courthouse under heavy security.
The unfolding case has drawn Fenerbahçe officials and supporters to the Çağlayan Courthouse, with board members including Gürhan Taşkaya arriving to show support.
