Turkish police on Thursday detained 23 people, including singer Kenan Doğulu, actress Beren Saat and actor Enis Arıkan, in a new phase of an expanding narcotics investigation targeting public figures in İstanbul, the state-run TRT Haber reported.
Anti-narcotics police carried out the operation under an investigation led by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The detainees were taken for medical checks before being transferred to the Anti-Narcotics Crimes Branch Directorate in İstanbul’s Küçükçekmece district for questioning.
Turkish media reports said the list of those detained also included singer Ayşe Hatun Önal, singer Berdan Mardini, social media personality Kerimcan Durmaz, musician Ozan Doğulu and television personality Selin Ciğerci.
The investigation concerns allegations of drug use and facilitating the use of narcotics, according to the reports. No detailed allegations against the individuals have been made public.
Several of the figures named in the investigation have large social media followings, adding to the public attention surrounding the case. Beren Saat has about 5.5 million Instagram followers, while Enis Arıkan has some 3.4 million, Kerimcan Durmaz around 3.7 million and Kenan Doğulu approximately 1.4 million.
Several of those named are among Turkey’s best-known entertainment and social media figures, attracting intense public attention to the case.
Thursday’s operation marked the latest phase in a broader celebrity-focused narcotics investigation that began in October and has since expanded to include actors, musicians, journalists, television presenters and social media figures.
In a previous phase of the investigation in May, Turkish prosecutors ordered the detention of 25 public figures.
The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said at the time that the operation was launched after tips, digital materials and other evidence led prosecutors to conclude there was reasonable suspicion that some suspects had used narcotic or stimulant substances.
Among the names linked to the May phase were singer Mabel Matiz, actor Onur Tuna, actress Feyza Civelek, singer Berkay Şahin, actress Serenay Sarıkaya and journalist Mirgün Cabas. Several suspects were taken for forensic testing, including blood, hair and urine samples, while some were later released.
The case has drawn heavy media coverage in Turkey because of the prominence of the people involved. Critics say high-profile drug investigations are often widely publicized, while law enforcement has faced questions over whether it is doing enough to target larger trafficking networks.
The investigation has also renewed debate over Turkey’s larger narcotics problem.
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.