by Kamran Gasanov
[REGNUM] A scandal involving sex parties and drug trafficking is brewing in Turkey. At first glance, it seems completely unrelated to politics. But the case is high-profile, there are certain leads, and, ultimately, Erdoğan himself has taken up the matter.
Whether these revelations are a Turkish "Epstein daddy" remains to be seen, but new and increasingly big names are constantly appearing in the media.
It's been about a month since high-profile revelations against show business stars and well-known journalists appeared in the Turkish media.
The trial began back in October. Police arrested several actors, singers, and influencers on suspicion of drug use, which carries a five-year prison sentence in Turkey.
However, no prohibited substances were found in the suspects' blood.
What happened a month later was a sensation.
On December 9-10, the editor-in-chief of the well-known newspaper Habertürk, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, and other employees of the publication: Ufuk Tetik, Mustafa Manaz and Ebru Gülan, were detained on the same charges of drug use.
Ersoy's arrest was shocking, not only because of his journalism background. His father, an extremely conservative figure, sympathized with the Islamic Revolution and was even investigated for his pro-Iranian sympathies. Ersoy himself served as a representative of Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet).
Many more will be involved in the "drug scandal", but the thread initially came from a certain Serjan Yasar.
This is a party organizer known to the world as the Turkish Escobar (named after the famous Colombian drug lord – Ed.). After his arrest, Sercan cracked and gave up celebrities, including the aforementioned journalists.
More to come.
FROM TV PRESENTER TO FENERBAHCE
The target of the attack was the well-known media industry star and beauty Rumeysa Cebeci, the face of the Habertürk and Show TV channels.
She, like the aforementioned Ersoy and other journalists, is suspected of drug use and participation in “dirty parties” with group orgies.
They all tried to justify themselves, but blood and hair tests proved the use of “recreational substances.”
Further from the TV presenter, the “thread of Ariadne” led to the president of the football club “Fenerbahçe” Saaddettin Saran.
Intimate correspondence with numerous high-profile figures, including Saran, found on Cebeci's phone has become public knowledge. In one message, the Fenerbahçe owner asks the TV presenter, "Do you still have that substance?" She replies, "Where are you going to get it from, Mr. President? I'm not Escobar."
During interrogation, Saran didn't deny his relationship with his client, but he insisted he wasn't a drug addict and that the correspondence was a joke about a movie the couple had watched together. The football club president was released, but his blood is undergoing testing.
According to Turkish media, TV star Cebeci's phone also contains videos of intimate encounters with celebrities, including officials and judges, and she is willing to cooperate with the investigation and hand over the materials to the court.
WHO IS "EPSTEIN"?
Judging by the presence of numerous big names, it's clear that all these people are connected, and that some organized group is waging a campaign against them. We've found out who the first ones are, but who the second ones are remains a mystery.
On December 22, the identity of the organizer of the "Turkish Mutabor" was revealed. According to renowned TGRT journalist Fuat Uğur, it was a certain Ali Yaşar Koza. He owns a secret club disguised as a library. While it looks like a bookstore, it's actually a VIP nightclub where clients receive prostitutes and use drugs. Ersoy, Rumeysa, and other celebrities were hanging out there.
Koza has already been arrested. But the real "Epstein," the organizer of the secret empire of illicit entertainment, may not be him.
Businessman Kasim Garipoğlu is also claiming this role. According to his driver (and informant) Ahmet Akçay, he held drug parties twice a month at his villa in an elite area of the Bosphorus.
Akçay says model Şevval Şahin and Şeyma Subaşı, the ex-wife of media mogul, TV presenter, and owner of English club Hull City, Acun Ilıcalı, were there. Both are wanted and on the run.
Investigators in this case arrested and questioned actress Irem Sak (who played in the TV series "False World"), singer Aleyna Tilki (her music video "Cevapsız Çınlama" has collected around 500 million views), and bloggers Danla Biliç and Mümmine Senna Yıldız.
Habertürk journalist Mehmet Akia Ersoy is also being called Turkey's Epstein. Investigators believe Ersoy's home served as a drug den and a venue for group sex acts, while the former Habertürk editor-in-chief allegedly acted as a pimp, pairing beautiful models and actresses with influential people and businessmen.
Whoever the main organizer, Ersoy's name resonates louder than all. Not only does he come from a religious family, but he is also a full namesake of the great poet of the Sublime Porte, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who composed the Turkish national anthem and became a symbol of patriotism and piety.
"I've never touched drugs in my life. This is a political reprisal and the destruction of a reputation I spent 15 years building," the journalist explained, but the court is not yet planning to acquit him.
THE HEROINE OF "THE MAGNIFICENT CENTURY"
The drug scandal involves many names familiar to ordinary Turkish citizens.
These include actors Demet Evgar, Özge Özpirinci, Kubilay Aka, and Kaan Yıldırım, as well as pop stars Hadise, İrem Derici, and Ziynet Sali. Russian audiences should probably be familiar with at least actress Ezgi Eyüboğlu, who played Aybige Khatun, the daughter of the Crimean Khan, in the series "The Magnificent Century. "
The circumstances of Eyüboğlu's arrest effectively prove the investigation's case. At the time of her arrest, she was at her manager's home, where hundreds of pills, strange objects, a crystalline substance, three pistols, and a stack of counterfeit dollars were found. Evidence was also found on blogger Mümine Senna Yıldız—5 grams of marijuana.
It's too early and difficult to talk about political motives, but it seems likely. At least given that the president has taken the matter personally.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to deal with drug trafficking among celebrities.
Given that the investigation is ongoing and new big names are emerging every day, it's possible that the names and locations of officials will leak out through the crowd of actors, singers, and bloggers.
It's worth noting that the searches are taking place in Istanbul's elite and Westernized neighborhoods. Ideally, the crackdown on corrupt representatives of the secular elite should resonate with the provincial and religious sections of society—in short, Erdoğan's electorate.
Support for the current president wouldn't hurt right now. Especially since many—both in government and in the opposition—are talking about early elections. The economy isn't growing, and inflation, like the Central Bank's interest rates, is high. People need something to distract and attract them.
It would seem, what does Fidan have to do with this?
At the same time, other versions also have a right to exist.
When Habertürk journalists were arrested, many experts pointed to the publication's close ties to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. In the context of his visit to Syria and his harsh statements about Kurdish militias, the theory of "tension around Fidan" emerged.
And how can one not ask the question: isn’t this entire operation against drug trafficking, in which the minister’s people are involved, aimed against him?
For what purpose? To push Fidan aside and clear the way to the top of power for the president's son, Bilal Erdoğan ?
Yeni Şafak journalist Mohmad Akhiyidov considers this version illogical.
“When investigations began against the top brass of Habertürk, including accusations of cashing out and corruption, everyone mentioned Hakan Fidan’s name because the media is close to him.
But now that the conversation is about celebrities, Fidan is no longer being talked about. But the political undercurrent is still there; society just doesn't understand who's against whom.
At the same time, it's clear that there are some intrigues against Fidan. There are rumors that Erdogan is pushing aside the Foreign Minister in favor of his son, Bilal. But I don't buy this theory, because Fidan is one of Erdogan's most trusted lieutenants, along with Kalın and Güler. They report directly to Erdogan, and he trusts them. If someone goes against these three, it means they're going against Erdogan," the Turkish journalist said in an exclusive comment to Regnum News Agency.
Modern Türkiye is known for its many political scandals, and Erdogan has been a frequent victim.
In 2013, when the preacher Fethullah Gülen was still powerful, the investigation into the "Great Bribe" case shook up the government and almost put Erdogan and his son under attack.
In 2021, fugitive mafioso Sedat Peker's multi-million-dollar videos made headlines, exposing ministers, including the interior minister and then-presidential successor Suleyman Soylu.
Fidan also found himself at the center of a scandal. In 2012, he was summoned for questioning on suspicion of collaborating with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey. But then Prime Minister Erdoğan stood up for him and forbade his head of national intelligence from appearing for questioning.
Time will tell how the operation against the drug-addicted celebrities will end. But many in Turkey are convinced that this is some kind of political campaign.