The president of the traditional Turkish football club Fenerbahçe Istanbul, Sadettin Saran, was released under court conditions after his arrest on Wednesday evening. This was reported by state media.
The 61-year-old was taken into custody as part of a drug investigation after a hair sample showed that he had consumed cocaine. In addition, according to the state news agency Anadolu, the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office expanded the allegations to include drug trafficking and aiding and abetting drug consumption after “additional evidence from the ongoing proceedings”.
Saran denies the allegations. He never used cocaine. Rather, Saran described the action against him as a “clear smear campaign.”
President is not allowed to leave the country
After his testimony on Thursday, an Istanbul court ordered Saran to report to a police station twice a week. According to Anadolu, he also remains subject to an exit ban that was imposed earlier during the investigation.
The investigation has been ongoing since the beginning of the month. After returning from abroad, Saran appeared at the public prosecutor’s office on December 20 to give a statement and then had to undergo forensic examinations. According to Anadolu, traces of narcotics were detected in a sample of Saran’s hair.
Support the club and the fans
Ahead of his release on Thursday, fans gathered outside the high-security Çağlayan court building in Istanbul and chanted slogans of solidarity for the club president.
The Fenerbahçe club management, which was on site, promised Saran their full support. “As the entire board, we stand behind our president. We are convinced that we will overcome this challenge together. We trust the Turkish justice system. Hopefully the result will be positive,” said board member Eren Ergen.