Nine people, including prominent figures from the entertainment industry, have been detained in a drug investigation, a prosecutor’s office in İstanbul said on Tuesday.
Among those detained are singers Simge Sağın, Melek Mosso, Mustafa Ceceli and Ersay Üner as well as actor İbrahim Çelikkol, according to a statement from the Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation, conducted in coordination with the İstanbul Provincial Gendarmerie’s narcotics unit, involves allegations of purchasing, possessing or using drugs for personal use as well as supplying narcotics.
Prosecutors said the detentions were carried out simultaneously following evidence gathered through tips and intelligence. Search and seizure operations were also conducted as part of the raids.
In its statement the prosecutor’s office said the suspects were identified as having participated in the alleged offenses and that arrest, search and seizure procedures were executed under court orders.
The detainees have been referred to prosecutors for questioning while the investigation continues.
Under Turkish law, drug-related offenses such as possession for personal use, facilitating use and trafficking carry varying penalties. While personal use may in some cases result in suspended sentences or treatment, more serious charges can lead to prison terms.
The case is part of a broader series of drug operations launched in İstanbul in recent months that have increasingly involved figures from the television, music and media sectors.
Earlier phases of the investigation saw dozens of suspects detained or arrested on similar charges, with some later released after providing statements and biological samples.
Critics claim that high-profile drug investigations are sometimes widely publicized, while law enforcement fails to sufficiently target large-scale trafficking networks.
According to a 2025 report by the Turkish police, Turkey has moved beyond its traditional role as a transit route for illegal drugs and has increasingly become both a destination market and a production hub, particularly for synthetic substances. The report documented a sharp increase in drug-related operations, with dozens of facilities uncovered in İstanbul alone.
Some also see political undertones in cases involving celebrities, saying they may reflect broader cultural tensions in Turkey under the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been ruling Turkey since 2002.