A serious incident has shocked public opinion in Turkey, after Sadettin Saran, president of the Turkish club Fenerbahçe and a well-known businessman, was arrested on Wednesday evening in Istanbul, as part of an ongoing investigation into drug-related matters.
The news was confirmed by the Istanbul City Prosecutor's Office, which announced that Saran was detained by Provincial Guard teams after "additional evidence" was presented in the investigation file. He is accused of selling narcotics, facilitating drug use and drug use.
According to authorities, previous forensic examinations showed that a hair sample from Saran had tested positive for narcotics. However, he had previously publicly denied any involvement, stating on social media that he had never used drugs and had never been directly exposed to such substances.
Saran was summoned for questioning on Friday, and his apartment was also searched by authorities. During the questioning session at the Istanbul Court, he remained for about two hours, before being sent to the Forensic Medicine Council for blood and hair samples to be taken for further analysis.
After forensic procedures, he is expected to return to court for further legal steps. Meanwhile, the investigation in Istanbul has already led to the arrest of several other people, including editor Mehmet Akif Ersoy and presenter Ela Rumeysa Cebeci.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Sadettin Saran played an active role in the use, facilitation or supply of narcotics. Saran is a Turkish-American businessman and owner of the Saran Holding group, which operates in the media, defense and aviation sectors.
