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Drug test results for former Haberturk Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Akif Ersoy showed negative findings in blood samples but positive results in hair samples, according to a report released by the Forensic Medicine Institute, as part of a widening drug investigation in Istanbul.
Ersoy, a prominent Turkish media executive, was arrested last week and suspended from duty under a widening drug investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. He was taken into custody by Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie teams following a raid at his residence and was later questioned at gendarmerie headquarters.
Haberturk TV is one of Türkiye’s largest private news channels with a national audience across television and digital platforms. Ersoy joined the channel in 2017 and became editor-in-chief in 2024. He had led Haberturk’s newsroom and presented its main evening bulletin.
According to the Forensic Medicine Institute report, no narcotic substances were detected in Ersoy’s blood samples. However, tests conducted on his hair samples returned positive for “cocaine and its metabolites.”
The report also said cocaine was detected only in the blood of Ufuk Tetik, while narcotic substances were found in the hair samples of seven individuals involved in the investigation.
Hair samples taken from television presenter Ela Rumeysa Cebeci, who was detained and later released, tested positive for “cannabis, synthetic drugs and cocaine,” according to the findings.
The investigation, which includes several well-known television and entertainment figures, has drawn wide public attention. Last week, three television news anchors, Ela Rumeysa Cebeci, Hande Sarioglu and Meltem Acet, were detained by gendarmerie teams, questioned and provided blood and hair samples at the Forensic Medicine Institute. All three were charged with drug or stimulant use and were released after completing procedural steps.
Numerous other individuals from the entertainment sector, including actors, singers and social media personalities, have been summoned to give statements without formal detention orders. Investigators said test results for most of those individuals were negative, while some whose results were positive attributed the findings to legally prescribed medications.
Meanwhile, former Haberturk anchor Nur Kosker accused Ersoy of also harassment and abuse of power in a detailed statement she shared on social media.
She said she had stayed silent because she did not feel safe and wanted to protect her family and described Ersoy as “a dark and deep man who never faced consequences, no matter what he did.”
Documents cited in local coverage list additional allegations against Ersoy and other suspects.
The accusations include providing drugs to women at their residence, enabling sexual encounters involving multiple people, and gaining professional and financial benefits through these arrangements. Prosecutors stated that drug use allegedly took place inside the suspects’ homes.
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Following developments in the case, Disinformation Combat Center Coordinator Furkan Torlak announced his resignation after his name appeared in some media reports and on social media in connection with the investigation.
In a written statement, Torlak said he learned that his name had been mentioned in reports regarding a judicial process, stressing that there were no allegations against him. He said the mention nevertheless caused distress.
Meanwhile, Turkish media reports later claimed Torlak was involved in corruption and should undergo a drug test. However, according to reports, Torlak voluntarily applied to the relevant authorities to take a drug test.
Prosecutors said the investigation remains active, with authorities continuing to analyze newly obtained evidence and digital communications. Legal experts note that Turkish law distinguishes between personal drug use, which carries administrative penalties and possible rehabilitation measures, and trafficking-related offenses, which can result in lengthy prison sentences.
Authorities have indicated that further analysis of digital records could lead to additional summons for high-profile figures in the coming days. Investigators have emphasized that many individuals questioned so far have been cleared of wrongdoing, despite the probe highlighting alleged links between parts of Türkiye’s entertainment sector and drug-related activity.
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