12/24/25 12:02:00
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12/24 12:00 CST Fenerbahce president detained in Istanbul drug investigation
after positive narcotics test
Fenerbahce president detained in Istanbul drug investigation after positive
narcotics test
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) --- The president of Fenerbahce, one of Turkey's leading
sports clubs, was taken into custody in Istanbul on Wednesday as part of a
widening drug investigation that has ensnared prominent entertainment and media
figures, state media reported.
Sadettin Saran, a dual citizen of Turkey and the U.S., was detained just hours
after forensic tests detected traces of narcotics in his hair samples,
according to state broadcaster TRT.
He had been summoned last week to testify before prosecutors and was sent to a
forensic medical facility to provide hair and blood samples.
Since early December, more than a dozen people have been taken into custody as
part of an investigation overseen by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office.
They include television presenters, journalists, singers, actors and social
media personalities. They face charges ranging from drug production and
trafficking to facilitating prostitution. Many have undergone blood and hair
testing for narcotics use.
Denver-born Saran, who was elected Fenerbahce's chairman in September, was
questioned last week on suspicion of supplying and enabling the use of narcotic
substances.
Fenerbahce released a statement expressing its support to Saran and assuring
fans that the club's operations would continue uninterrupted.
"We have full confidence that our president will overcome this process with the
same common sense and fortitude he has always shown," the club said on X. "Our
president, Mr. Sadettin Saran, will put these days behind him and continue to
work with determination for our club."
Earlier on Wednesday, Saran issued a statement rejecting the test result,
insisting that he had never used the drug in question and pledging to formally
request a repeat examination.
Istanbul-based Fenerbahce is one of Turkey's most popular and successful sports
franchises. The club's former president, Aziz Yildirim, spent more than a year
in jail in 2012 on match-fixing charges, before being acquitted when a new
trial found the earlier case had been influenced by corrupt judges, prosecutors
and police officers.
The club has also found itself caught up in a separate investigation into
illegal betting and match-fixing across Turkish soccer. Fenerbahce also has
teams that compete in basketball, volleyball, athletics and swimming, among
other sports.
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