Tolga Akış and Cem Küçük face legal investigations in Turkey

Authorities in Turkey have launched investigations into two separate high-profile cases involving media and entertainment figures.

Tolga Akış, the founder and manager of the music group Manifest, has been detained by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Akış faces allegations including obscenity, drug use, and laundering assets derived from crime. Allegations from a former group photographer suggest a system of exploitation where members were reportedly bound by restrictive 10-year contracts and received minimal shares of the group's significant digital revenue.

Separately, journalist Cem Küçük is under investigation following a report by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). The report highlights suspicious financial activity between 2019 and 2026, noting that while Küçük received over 35 million lira, approximately 5 million lira in transfers from 23 individuals and companies were deemed ‘requiring explanation’ due to insufficient descriptions and inconsistencies with his professional profile. The investigation also includes allegations of blackmail and spreading misleading information.