Drug operation targeting celebrities, the real target is their lifestyles

News Centre

The drug operation against well-known figures targeted those known for their lifestyles. It was interpreted as an intimidation tactic and a message of “you’re in our hands” to those who step outside the boundaries set by the regime.

While drug lords, murderers, and people with long criminal records roam the streets freely without even being detained, famous individuals were taken from their homes in dawn raids over a drug operation. In this unlawful process, the chosen names stood out for their colourful lives and dissident identities.

Following Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun’s 2023 statement, “Your political hegemony is over, your cultural hegemony will end too,” operations targeting artists have focused on those outside the regime’s limits. Artists have found themselves in courtrooms over what they post and even what they wear.

Most recently, in the drug operation carried out in the past few days, the three actors involved were represented by manager Ayşe Barım, while Defne Samyeli had appeared as a guest on the imprisoned journalist Fatih Altaylı’s programme. Hadise had made headlines for her outfit, while Demet Evgar is known for her work on women’s rights.

This situation was interpreted as the regime’s way of sending a message to those known for their vibrant lifestyles: “You’re in our hands.” Social media posts read, “Either you become artists of our line, or you go inside; either you appear as one of us, or we’ll be on your back.”

Actor Mert Fırat said, “We are against all forms of drugs, but we should also oppose inventing a new crime every day just to cover up what should be discussed… For instance, why was the motion to investigate drug use rejected in Parliament?”

OPPOSITION IN THE BAG

CHP leader Özgür Özel reacted to the “drug” operation against celebrities, saying, “What they’re doing is not an arrest. There is no legal basis for their actions in a state of law. What they are doing is an attack on family life, private life, and the inviolability of the home. It is a direct character assassination.”

Recalling that actress Meriç Aral Keskin was subjected to a drug test while breastfeeding her 32-day-old daughter Güneş, Özel said, “Shame on those who have made this country experience something so disgraceful and humiliating.”

Özel added, “There isn’t a dealer, there’s a bag. And inside that bag are artists with dissident identities.”

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Ünlülere yönelik uyuşturucu operasyonu: Asıl hedef alınan yaşam tarzları, published in BirGün newspaper on October 10, 2025.