An İstanbul court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of 12 suspects in a drug investigation that has has already targeted journalists, social media influencers and figures tied to television and fashion.
The suspects were among 17 people detained over the weekend and later taken to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan, where prosecutors sought the arrest of 12 of them and judicial supervision measures for four others. One person was released.
Those jailed included Buse İskenderoğlu, who won the Miss Turkey World title in 2016, along with Yılmaz Efe, described as the owner of an entertainment venue called Kütüphane, and Zohaer Majhadi, a public relations manager for the fashion brand Les Benjamins.
Other suspects jailed at the same court hearing were Cengiz Can Atasoy, the owner of the İstanbul Suma Han nightclub, social media figures Dilara Ege Çevik and Rabia Karaca, businessman Cihan Güler, lawyer Burak Güngörmedi, Resul Aslan, Tuğrulbey Aran, Ömer Can Kılıç and Yasin Burak Becek.
Four suspects were released under judicial supervision, a pretrial measure that can include requirements such as regularly checking in with the police and limits on travel while remaining free.
The case has unfolded in waves in recent months, with prosecutors bringing public figures in for questioning and biological sampling. The investigation expanded after authorities detained people linked to the Habertürk television network earlier in December.
One of the best known detainees in that earlier round was Mehmet Akif Ersoy, the former editor-in-chief of Habertürk TV. On Tuesday Ersoy gave an additional statement as part of an application to benefit from Turkey’s “effective remorse” provisions, which can reduce sentences in some cases when a suspect cooperates with investigators. Prosecutors later assessed that his statement did not contribute to the investigation, and he was returned to prison.
The investigation produced another high-profile development yesterday, when Şeyma Subaşı, a Turkish internet celebrity and former spouse of media mogul Acun Ilıcalı, was detained at İstanbul Airport as she returned from the US. Reports said she was taken into custody under a detention warrant, underwent procedures that included providing samples and was later transferred to the courthouse for questioning.
Accusations against suspects vary from drug use and possession to trafficking and facilitating drug use.