The arrest of 19 actors, influencers and singers was announced Wednesday by authorities in Turkey as part of a drug ring investigation. Among those brought to the gendarmerie headquarters in Istanbul was Hadise Açıkgöz, who took part in Eurovision in 2016 with the song Düm Tek Tek.
According to Turkish reports, the accused, in addition to their statements, gave a blood sample.
Among those summoned for questioning were actors Demet Evgar, Özge Özpirinçci, Mert Yazıcıoğlu, Kaan Yıldırım, Kubilay Aka, Berrak Tüzünataç, and Meriç Aral, singers Hadise Açıkgöz and İrem Derici, as well as influencer Duygu Özaslan and couple Dilan and Engin Polat.
Dilan Polat’s lawyer, Sevinç Horoz, said her client had previously undergone tests that confirmed she had not used drugs: “If this is deemed insufficient, we are ready to undergo a new test. It is impossible to understand what happened.”
The Polats, who have built a multi-million dollar beauty business, have been in quite a bit of trouble with the law over the past two years. Just last March, they were arrested on charges of buying and possessing drugs and are involved in a trial involving charges of money laundering and tax evasion.
The prosecution, according to CNN Turk, clarified that none of the named defendants were taken into custody.
The investigation is being conducted by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office for Smuggling, Narcotics and Economic Crimes, with authorities saying the investigation is focused on determining whether the suspects used drugs and whether that use violates Turkish law.
After leaving the gendarmerie headquarters, Hadişe made a sibylline post on Instagram, writing “I am as confused as you are” and then posted pictures from a concert she gave in Ankara.
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