Prominent Turkish journalist Mehmet Akif Ersoy was detained late on Dec. 9 as part of a narcotics-related operation and was subsequently dismissed from his post as editor-in-chief of Habertürk TV channel.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for eight individuals on charges of “purchasing, accepting, possessing or using narcotics” and “providing a venue or opportunity for their use.”
Teams from the Istanbul Gendarmerie Command detained Ersoy, the remaining suspects were taken into custody on Dec. 10.
Elif Kılınç, Habertürk’s foreign news editor, was also detained in connection with the same drug investigation.
Shortly after the 40-year-old journalist’s detention, Türkiye’s state fund TMSF announced that Ersoy was removed from his position at Habertürk.
The network is currently run by a state-appointed trustee panel, following a money-laundering investigation launched in September against its owner Can Holding.
The probe targeted executives of Can Holding — a conglomerate known for its energy and education investments — which last year acquired several major TV channels, including Habertürk, Show TV and Bloomberg HT, the Turkish-language business news affiliate of Bloomberg News.
Among the firms are Bilgi University and Doğa Schools, as well as Energy gas stations, the technology company Awox, Mediza Hospital and Golden Hill Hotels.
Ersoy is expected to be released pending the results of drug-use tests, though procedures were still ongoing. His detention comes after three TV anchors were also taken into custody.
