Newsletters
Sadettin Saran, president of Istanbul football club Fenerbahce and a prominent businessman, was taken into custody Wednesday evening as part of an ongoing drug investigation in Istanbul, prosecutors said.
In a statement, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said Saran was detained by teams from the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command after “additional evidence” emerged in the probe.
“Within the scope of the ongoing investigation against suspect Steven Sadettin Saran, based on additional evidence obtained, he has been taken into custody on charges of procuring narcotic substances, facilitating the use of narcotics, and using narcotic substances,” the statement said.
Authorities said Saran’s hair sample had previously tested positive during forensic examinations conducted as part of the investigation.
Earlier Wednesday, Saran publicly denied the allegations in a statement posted on his Instagram account.
“First of all, I would like to state clearly and unequivocally that I have never used the substance that is claimed to have tested positive in the Forensic Medicine Institute’s test,” he said. “Let alone using it, I have never even seen the said substance up close in my life.”
Saran was formally summoned for questioning on Friday by prosecutors, and a search was carried out at his residence, officials said.
His questioning at the Istanbul Courthouse in Caglayan lasted approximately two hours, after which he was transferred to the Council of Forensic Medicine to provide blood and hair samples for further analysis.
Following those procedures, he is expected to be returned to the courthouse for additional legal steps.
The investigation has already resulted in multiple arrests, including Haberturk TV editor-in-chief Mehmet Akif Ersoy and television anchor Ela Rumeysa Cebeci.
Prosecutors are examining whether Saran facilitated the use of illegal drugs or played a role in their procurement, based on evidence under review.
Saran is a Turkish-American businessperson and the owner of Saran Holding, which operates in the media, defense and aerospace sectors.
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
