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Fenerbahce Sports Club President Sadettin Saran was released under judicial control measures following questioning in a narcotics investigation, then immediately traveled to watch his team's match against Eyupspor at Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
Saran, who had been abroad, returned to Istanbul during evening hours and proceeded to the Istanbul Justice Palace in Caglayan to give testimony to prosecutors investigating drug-related offenses. Authorities collected blood and hair samples from the football club executive at the Forensic Medicine Institute as part of the ongoing probe.
The 45-year-old was referred to a criminal magistrate on charges of obtaining narcotic substances, using narcotic substances, and facilitating narcotic substance use. The court imposed a foreign travel ban as a condition of his release, according to the judicial proceedings.
Following his statement to prosecutors, Saran underwent standard forensic procedures before being brought back to the courthouse. The judicial control measure — a common pretrial restriction in Turkish criminal proceedings that allows suspects to remain free while under certain constraints — permits him to continue his duties while the investigation continues.
Judicial control measures in the Turkish legal system can include restrictions such as travel bans, periodic reporting requirements, or prohibitions on leaving one's residence during certain hours. The specific measure applied to Saran prevents him from leaving the country while prosecutors continue their investigation.
After departing the Caglayan courthouse, Saran wasted no time traveling to the match venue. Fenerbahce supporters at Ataturk Olympic Stadium greeted their club president with considerable enthusiasm despite the circumstances surrounding his courthouse appearance earlier in the day.
Fenerbahce, one of Istanbul's three major football clubs, has maintained a passionate fan base throughout its more than century-long history. The club competes in the Turkish Super Lig, the country's top-tier football division.
The investigation remains ongoing, with forensic test results from the collected samples expected to inform prosecutors' next steps in the case.
Following the match, Saran addressed reporters in brief remarks defending his prompt response to the legal summons. "If the state calls, wherever we are, I come immediately. We have no accounts we cannot give! We don't fail to show up like others do," he told assembled media members, contrasting his approach with unnamed individuals who he suggested had avoided similar proceedings.
The club president expressed gratitude for the supporter reception he received at the stadium, calling it a moment he would remember for the rest of his life. Saran characterized his position atop one of Türkiye's most storied football institutions as the greatest honor of his career, adding that the solidarity displayed by fans left the team with no option but to deliver a championship. "This is our country," he said, before pledging that the club would reward supporters' loyalty with success on the pitch.
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