Afra Saraçoğlu denies drug use after testing positive for cocaine

Turkish actress Afra Saraçoğlu has denied using illegal drugs after a forensic examination reportedly detected cocaine in a hair sample taken as part of an investigation involving several public figures.

Saraçoğlu issued a social media statement after the Forensic Medicine Institute added its report to the case file. She claimed her blood and urine tests were negative and that the finding in her hair could have been caused by environmental exposure or contact.

The actress stated that specialists had informed her that external sources could expose her hair to substances. Because her job frequently requires her to attend crowded events, she believes inadvertent exposure contributed to the outcome.

She also stated that authorities discovered no illegal substances or other evidence of an offence during a search of her home. Saraçoğlu stated she cooperated with investigators throughout the process.

What happened to Afra Saraçoğlu?

The case stems from a wider investigation led by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into allegations involving illegal drug use and the facilitation or provision of places for drug consumption among public figures.

Saraçoğlu returned from abroad on 21 September and was detained at Istanbul Airport. She was subsequently taken for a medical examination before undergoing procedures connected with the investigation, including forensic testing.

Results reported on 30 September that cocaine had been detected in Saraçoğlu’s hair sample. Her blood and urine samples came back negative.

Previous investigations

Saraçoğlu’s case follows a series of drug investigations involving influential people in Turkey’s entertainment and business circles. In March, businessman Hakan Sabancı was among 14 people detained in a separate investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, while an order was also issued for actress Hande Erçel, who was abroad at the time and later returned to Turkey to give a statement and undergo forensic testing.