Turkish film director Ezel Akay and his brother, musician Eren Kazım Akay, were detained on Thursday in a drug operation carried out by gendarmerie teams in the northwestern province of Bursa, where authorities said they seized cannabis plants, marijuana and indoor cultivation equipment from the brothers' home.
The operation was conducted in the Rüştiye neighborhood of Bursa's Inegöl district following a months-long investigation led by the Bursa Provincial Gendarmerie Command under the coordination of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
According to officials, searches at the residence uncovered 22 cannabis plants, 1,144 grams of marijuana, an active climate control system and various cultivation materials.
During the search, conducted with the assistance of the gendarmerie's narcotics detection dog Takip, officers also found marijuana stored in bags and jars hidden inside desk drawers and wardrobes. Cannabis plants allegedly being cultivated in flower pots were seized for further examination.
Images released by authorities showed several rooms inside the house, including the bathroom, equipped with ultraviolet lighting and climate control systems that investigators said had been used for indoor cannabis cultivation.
Following their detention, Ezel Akay and Eren Kazım Akay were taken to Inegöl State Hospital, where blood and hair samples were collected to determine whether they had used narcotics.
As he entered the hospital, Akay reacted to journalists filming the scene, asking, "Why are they taking photos?"
After the medical examinations, the brothers were taken to the gendarmerie station to give statements.
Authorities said Ezel Akay has previous criminal records related to financial offenses, while his brother has no prior criminal record.
