A new security operation to combat drugs has targeted celebrities in Turkey, including actors, fashion models, and sports figures, among them the famous actress Handa Erçel. According to a statement from the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office, the operation aims to investigate 16 individuals on charges related to drug use or facilitating drug use. The Turkish police have detained 14 of the targeted individuals, while two others, including actress Erçel, who is currently outside Turkey, are being sought. The list of detainees includes fashion model and actress Güzide Duran, model Didem Suidan, and businessmen Hakan and Kerem Sabancı, as well as the former president of the "Beşiktaş" club, Fikret Orman, and the former president of the "Galatasaray" club, Burak Elmas. The suspects will undergo medical examinations, including blood and hair samples, before being interrogated by the public prosecutor. They are likely to be released pending the results of the tests, unless the prosecutor requests their detention. Since last October, several security campaigns against drugs have involved a large number of celebrities, with some journalists, artists, and social media influencers already being convicted of drug use. Among the most prominent figures in the current case is the well-known television presenter Ayla Remzi Çebeci, who admitted to drug use in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence. Those found to have traces of drugs in their samples face charges of purchasing and using drugs, with a prison sentence of two to five years. Additional prison penalties may apply if the offense is committed near public places, educational or sports facilities, hospitals, schools, or places of worship. The Public Prosecutor may also suspend the public prosecution against a person suspected of drug use on the condition that the accused participates in a specific one-year rehabilitation program, which results in their criminal record being expunged if they meet the program's requirements.
