Turkish popstar Serdat Ortaç, comedian Mehmet Ali Erbil, and former footballer Batuhan Karadeniz are among a list of 21 names currently implicated in an investigation targeting illegal betting.
Turkish popstar Serdar Ortaç, comedian Mehmet Ali Erbil, and former footballer Batuhan Karadeniz are among a list of 21 names currently implicated in an investigation targeting illegal betting operations on social media.
Serdar Ortaç & Mehmet Ali Erbil arrested along with 21 other influencers
The 21 suspects detained Sunday (November 10) are accused of ‘glorifying and promoting betting sites’ over social media platforms. Sixteen of the suspects were taken into custody and gave statements at an İstanbul courthouse. Following the statements, Ortaç and Erbil were placed under house arrest. Three of the suspects, including Karadeniz, are currently traveling abroad, while two of them are still at large within Turkey and have yet to be detained.
Istanbul’s public prosecutor filed an objection to the house arrests of Ortaç and Mehmet Ali Erbil, requesting that both men be taken into formal detention.
12 other suspects including Sefa Caner Sarıcam, Esma Sözen, Muzaffer Zorbey Erkoçkar, and İbrahim Yılmaz were taken into custody after giving statements. Two others were released on bail Sunday evening.
Apart from Ortaç, Erbil, and Karadeniz, social media influencers make up the majority of the list.
In a statement to the press from the courthouse, Ortaç said “I am very upset. The allegations are untrue but I have once again set a poor example for the public.” Ortaç, well known for his pop hits from the 1990s, has made headlines in recent years for his alleged gambling addiction.
Economic crises in the 1980s led to the legalization of gambling houses in Turkey under President Turgut Özal with the aim of attracting foreign tourists. However, these casinos were once again outlawed in 1997 amidst pressure related to the rise of gambling addiction and its image of being forbidden in the name of Islam (haram) by pious members of society and politics. In 2007, internet gambling was outlawed in Turkey.
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
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