A total of 20 suspects, including actors, singers, businesspeople, business operators and social media influencers, have been detained as part of two separate investigations into drug-related offenses and facilitating prostitution in Istanbul.
The operations were carried out as part of investigations launched by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
According to a statement from the prosecutor’s office, investigators obtained evidence supporting reasonable suspicion that some suspects publicly known as actors, singers, businesspeople, business operators and social media influencers had used narcotic or stimulant substances, facilitated drug use or provided premises for such activities.
The Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command was instructed to detain 18 suspects, conduct searches and biological examinations, take their statements and bring them before the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In a separate investigation, detention orders were issued for six suspects on charges related to drug use and procurement, violating privacy, blackmail and facilitating prostitution.
Of the 24 suspects targeted across the two investigations, 20 have been apprehended, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Those detained in the drug-related operation include actors Aras Bulut Iynemli, Melis Sezen and Nilperi Şahinkaya, singer Seyfullah Sağır, known as Sefo, former footballer Hasan Şaş, as well as Melis Işiten, Yeşim Yeşilçimen, Anıl Durmuş, Sayat Zurnacı, Yağız Sabuncuoğlu, Aytaç Kart, Muhammet Kahyaoğlu, Aydan Osmanoğlu and Hande Demir.
The second operation resulted in the detention of Volkan Akçıray, Zeynep Akçıray, Eda Güzelcik, Sezer Çakır, Hazal Filiz Küçükköse and Yeliz Tuba Yasa, according to authorities.
