New indictment against Mehmet Akif Ersoy accepted: 266-year prison sentence requested
The indictment prepared against former Habertürk TV Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who was arrested as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, has been accepted by the Istanbul 19th High Criminal Court.
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As part of the investigation launched in December 2025, an indictment was prepared against 8 suspects, including Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Mustafa Manaz, Ufuk Tetik, and Taner Çağlı.
The prosecution has requested a prison sentence of no less than 266 years for Ersoy.
Following the scheduling of the hearing date, the trial is expected to begin at the Çağlayan Courthouse.
THE FIRST INDICTMENT HAD BEEN RETURNED BY THE COURT
Among those detained and arrested in December 2025 as part of a drug investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office were Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Mustafa Manaz, and Ufuk Tetik. The indictment prepared against 8 people, including Taner Çağlı, was completed on May 20 and sent to the 19th High Criminal Court.
The court did not accept the indictment and returned it to the prosecutor's office.
THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR A PRISON SENTENCE OF NO LESS THAN 266 YEARS FOR ERSOY
The indictment contained multiple serious charges against Mehmet Akif Ersoy. A prison sentence ranging from 11 to 27.5 years was requested for the charges of establishing and managing a criminal organization and facilitating the use of drugs or stimulants.
In addition to these, a prison sentence of no less than 266 years was requested for the charges of 11 counts of aggravated sexual assault in a chain manner and drug or stimulant trafficking or supply in a chain manner. The prosecution, evaluating all these charges together, requested that Ersoy be severely punished.