The famous Turkish singer Serdar Ortach and 15 other celebrities were arrested today in an operation in Istanbul for inciting illegal betting, Anadolu Agency reported.
Serdar Ortach has had many performances in Bulgaria together with Bulgarian singers.
The Istanbul General Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against 23 people, including Ortach and TV presenter Mehmet Ali Erbil, who are of Kurdish origin, as well as a number of influencers, for “encouraging illegal betting”. An order was issued to arrest all 23 suspects.
The suspects' homes were searched. Sixteen people have been detained so far, including Ortach and Erbil.
Among the suspects alleged to have participated in illegal betting advertisements are ex-footballer Batuhan Karadeniz, influencers Ibrahim Yilmaz, Muzafer Zorbey, Sefa Janer Sarucham, as well as Alexander Mensikoff (with dual citizenship – Turkish and Russian), informed the Anatolian Agency.
It has been established that five of the suspects are abroad, and the search operations for the other two suspects are ongoing.