Turkey dawns with new wave of arrests of popular figures as part of large-scale drug investigation
Singer Yusuf Güney, who promoted the consumption of ayahuasca tea with banned substances, was also detained
Turkish actor Burak Deniz, known for his roles in the series “Our Story”, “Love Does Not Understand Words”, “Queen of the Night” and “Completely Different”, was arrested in Istanbul as part of a drug investigation, Haberturk reported on 09.04.2026.
According to the publication, 1 gram of plant-based drugs was found in his possession during a search. The star has already been taken to the gendarmerie, where he will undergo a drug test after first giving a statement.
In the same case, 14 people were previously detained in the operation, including representatives of one of the richest families in the country, businessmen Hakan and Kerim Sabanci, former president of the Galatasaray football club Burak Elmas, actress Güzide Duran and other celebrities in our southern neighbor.
Singer Yusuf Güney was also arrested by order of the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office for the crime of “incitement to drug use”. The arrest warrant was issued because Yusuf Güney advertised ayahuasca tea on his YouTube channel, and this tea contains the banned substance DMT.
Yusuf Güney, who appeared as a guest on a show broadcast on a digital platform and made statements promoting the consumption of ayahuasca tea containing banned substances, was detained by police teams.
“As part of the investigations conducted by the Istanbul Police Department’s Drug Crimes Unit, in coordination with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Yusuf Güney, a guest on a show broadcast on a digital platform, was detained after making statements promoting the consumption of ayahuasca tea. Investigations revealed that DMT, a substance found in the ayahuasca tea mentioned in the content, is among the prohibited substances under Law No. 23134,” the police said in a statement.
Yusuf Güney, who was detained by the Istanbul Police Department’s Drug Crimes Unit, is still being questioned at the police station.
Ayahuasca is a powerful, psychoactive brew from the Amazon used in shamanic rituals for spiritual purification, self-knowledge and healing. It is prepared from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of Psychotria viridis, which contain powerful hallucinogens (DMT).
The Turkish authorities’ large-scale investigation into drug use in the entertainment industry in Turkey began in October 2025. The list of actors, journalists, performers, singers, musicians, influencers, producers and businessmen who have been detained in several successive operations so far is long. Among those detained were the popular singer Aleyna Tilki, actor Can Yaman, producer Timur Savci.
In February this year, a court in Istanbul arrested the owner of the five-star Bebek Hotel on the shores of the Bosphorus and confiscated the hotel, where, according to the investigation, parties were held at which members of the local elite, actors, singers and influencers used drugs.
Photo: Turkish actor and model Burak Deniz
