Turkish singer Deniz Seki released from prison after two years

ISTANBUL

Deniz Seki, a famous Turkish singer who was jailed two years ago over charges on drug dealing, was released from an Istanbul prison on June 5, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The 46-year-old singer, who was arrested late 2014, spoke to the press after being released, saying that she had missed her fans a lot while in prison.

“I missed you very much, too. But it was a very hard journey. I will make a press conference after two days. If you’ll excuse me, I want to get some rest,” she said, expressing her gratitude for their support. 

Early in the day, her brother and boyfriend came to the Bakırköy Women Closed Prison to acquire Seki’s personal belongings, as a large number of her fans awaited her release.

Seki was detained in a drug raid in 2009 by gendarmerie forces. She was released pending trial after a hearing referred her to the Bakırköy Penal Court.

But after a prosecutor’s objection, the court reversed the decision and issued an arrest warrant. The court demanded eight years in jail for Seki for “supporting drug trafficking” in 2010. 

The court also ruled that she receives rehabilitation and is given probation.

On Feb. 24, 2010, Seki said she had only used drugs and refused drug dealing allegations in her testimony. The court ordered to arrest her, but she was released 218 days after in jail on Nov. 2, 2010.

The 12th Istanbul Penal Court, however, ordered to arrest Seki again after approving a six-year imprisonment.     

Immediately after the warrant, Seki had vanished, leaving no traces. She was caught in a house in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, where she was hiding, on Nov. 15, 2014. Seki was arrested by court and was resent to prison on Nov. 16, 2014.