Drug and Crime Organization Indictment Against Mehmet Akif Ersoy

WHAT HAPPENED?

Within the scope of the drug investigation against celebrities, many people, including news anchors, celebrities, social media influencers and athletes, were detained and many others were arrested.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy was also detained in a drug investigation in December last year and then arrested.

DETAILS FROM THE INDICTMENT

In the indictment, in the notice sent to the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command on November 2, 2025, it was stated that "Habertürk Television Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Ela Rümeysa Cebeci and Merve S, who previously worked on this channel, used drugs and stimulants, that Ersoy organized entertainment-style events and provided drugs and stimulants in this environment, that he made the women around him use drugs and stimulants, weakened the will of women and had sexual intercourse with these women with more than one person." It was stated that the information "what they experienced" was included.

In the indictment, which stated that investigation procedures were started against the criminal organization following this notice, it was noted that in the investigation carried out based on the notices received by the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command, the actions were committed within the scope of the organization, and that this organization was led by the defendant Mehmet Akif Ersoy and consisted of some members mentioned in the narrative.

In the indictment, it is stated that the criminal organization frequently used the effect of cocaine, which is one of the drugs, on people, both on the female victims and on the members of the organization, and that the leader of the organization, Ersoy, frequently provided drugs with the members of the organization he knew from his friends and business circle, organized parties, and used the members of the organization and the victims to satisfy his sexual feelings during these parties.

WHO IS MEHMET AKIF ERSOY?

Mehmet Akif Ersoy, born in Istanbul on January 8, 1985, graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Communication. He started working as a reporter on 6 News channel in 2009.

In 2011, he worked as a TRT representative and war correspondent in Libya, Yemen, Damascus and Erbil. He became TRT Cairo-Egypt Representative in 2012 and TRT Deputy Arabic Coordinator in 2013. He started working as TRT Istanbul Deputy Regional Manager in 2014.

Ersoy became the Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy Magazine in 2016. He started working at Habertürk in 2017. Ersoy, who was suspended from his duty following the detention decision, had been serving as Editor-in-Chief of Habertürk TV since 2024.