Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to occasional showers during the afternoon. High near 60F. SSE winds at less than 5 mph, increasing to 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..
Windy with evening showers evolving to a steady, soaking rain overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low near 55F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Updated: December 24, 2025 @ 10:29 am
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The president of Fenerbahce, one of Turkey’s leading sports clubs, was taken into custody in Istanbul on Wednesday as part of a widening drug investigation that has ensnared prominent entertainment and media figures, state media reported.
Sadettin Saran, a dual citizen of Turkey and the U.S., was detained just hours after forensic tests detected traces of narcotics in his hair samples, according to state broadcaster TRT.
He had been summoned last week to testify before prosecutors and was sent to a forensic medical facility to provide hair and blood samples.
Since early December, more than a dozen people have been taken into custody as part of an investigation overseen by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office.
They include television presenters, journalists, singers, actors and social media personalities. They face charges ranging from drug production and trafficking to facilitating prostitution. Many have undergone blood and hair testing for narcotics use.
Denver-born Saran, who was elected Fenerbahce’s chairman in September, was questioned last week on suspicion of supplying and enabling the use of narcotic substances.
Fenerbahce released a statement expressing its support to Saran and assuring fans that the club’s operations would continue uninterrupted.
“We have full confidence that our president will overcome this process with the same common sense and fortitude he has always shown,” the club said on X. “Our president, Mr. Sadettin Saran, will put these days behind him and continue to work with determination for our club.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Saran issued a statement rejecting the test result, insisting that he had never used the drug in question and pledging to formally request a repeat examination.
Istanbul-based Fenerbahce is one of Turkey’s most popular and successful sports franchises. The club’s former president, Aziz Yildirim, spent more than a year in jail in 2012 on match-fixing charges, before being acquitted when a new trial found the earlier case had been influenced by corrupt judges, prosecutors and police officers.
The club has also found itself caught up in a separate investigation into illegal betting and match-fixing across Turkish soccer. Fenerbahce also has teams that compete in basketball, volleyball, athletics and swimming, among other sports.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Come as you are to a peaceful, family-friendly service of carols, candles, and the story of … Read moreChristmas Eve Candlelight Service
Join San Mateo County native and real estate expert Paisley Vartanian for the first-ever in-… Read moreNational Homeowners Day
Navigating Senior Care, Estate Planning, & Funeral Planning Read morePeace of Mind with a Piece of Cake
anna kuhre said:
We have three more years with President Trump, so I want him to succeed. I am not praying for failure.
Thomas Morgan said:
Thomas Morgan said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.