Bursa director Ezel Akay and brother detained in cannabis bust

Bursa’s İl Jandarma Command, Narkotik Division, acting on a tip that director Ezel Akay was cultivating cannabis at his home in İnegöl, carried out a coordinated raid with the Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı. During the search police discovered a specially‑installed climate‑controlled grow system, about 1.1 kg of kubar (hashish) and 21 cannabis plants, along with related equipment. Both Ezel Akay, a well‑known film director, and his brother, musician Eren Kazım Akay, were placed under arrest and taken to İnegöl State Hospital for blood and hair‑sample collection. Akay protested media photographers at the hospital, asking “Why are you taking photos?” The investigation remains ongoing under the jurisdiction of the Jandarma and the prosecutor’s office.

The operation has drawn significant public attention due to Akay’s celebrity status, but no charges have yet been filed. Authorities continue to examine the seized material and the brothers’ statements as the case proceeds through the Turkish legal system.