Ümit Karan applies to prosecutor's office for effective remorse

Ümit Karan, who was detained at Sabiha Gökçen Airport while attempting to leave the country as part of a comprehensive 'drug investigation targeting celebrities' conducted in Istanbul, was arrested on January 16, 2026, and sent to prison. It was stated that tests conducted at the Forensic Medicine Institute as part of the investigation found evidence of cocaine use in Karan's blood and urine samples.

It has been learned that the 49-year-old former football player has been in prison for approximately two weeks and has recently applied to the prosecutor's office, wishing to benefit from effective remorse provisions. It was noted that Karan may provide information regarding the drug network after his statement is taken in the coming days.

The statements given to the prosecutor's office by his former girlfriend were influential in his detention and arrest. The 23-year-old woman, identified as Ş.N., claimed that she met Karan about 7 months ago and that they used drugs together three times. The young woman stated, "I never brought drugs to Ümit Karan. Ümit Karan brought the drugs himself and offered them to me. I did not pay any fee in return for this. I regret what I experienced with Ümit Karan. I don't know why he used me."

Initially denying the accusations against him, Ümit Karan argued in his first statement that he had used substances in an uncontrolled manner abroad in the past and that he had not given drugs to anyone. Stating that he knew the young woman named Ş.Ö. and had a previous relationship with her, Karan claimed that he did not provide cocaine as alleged.