De Niro confirms 1995 Istanbul police raid rumor

ISTANBUL

Hollywood actor Robert De Niro confirmed he joined Turkish police officers on nightclub raids in Istanbul in 1995 while researching a film script.

Speaking to Cem Başak from the platform “Filme Gitmeden Önce” (Before Going to the Movies) alongside co-star Adam Scott, De Niro verified long-standing rumors he accompanied public order units during early morning inspections 31 years ago.

“I went out with them but I didn’t do ID checks. I did nothing, I was just observing. That news is true,” he said.

The actor explained he was researching a project with a scriptwriter at the time. Local acquaintances facilitated the ride-along as police forces conducted raids across several venues. Scott expressed surprise during the interview, joking about the prospect of De Niro checking identification cards in a club line.

Journalist Burak Ersemiz first brought the incident to public attention in a 2017 archive article. Ersemiz wrote the event coincided with the period the Istanbul Police Department relocated its central operations to a new headquarters campus on Vatan Avenue.

Ersemiz encountered the actor by chance inside the office of then-Interpol Branch Director Mehmet Başar. Başar befriended De Niro during a previous U.S. assignment, later inviting him to observe Turkish police operational reflexes firsthand. The journalist held the story that night at the police chief’s direct request, keeping the actor’s patrol a secret for decades.

The Vatan Avenue complex remains the primary command center for security operations in Türkiye’s largest metropolis, managing a vast network of public order and anti-smuggling branches. Cross-border police coordination through Interpol channels frequently involves international observers, though hosting a prominent Hollywood actor during live street-level raids marks a highly unusual entry in the department’s extensive history.