Tolga Akış, founder of Manifest group, arrested in Turkey

Tolga Akış, the founder and manager of the music group Manifest and Hypers agency, has been arrested by Turkish authorities. Following his detention at Istanbul Airport, Akış was referred to a criminal court on charges including facilitating the distribution of obscene content, drug use, and laundering proceeds from crime.

During his testimony, Akış denied the allegations of money laundering and drug use, stating his income of 350,000 TL monthly primarily comes from platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Apple. Regarding the group's finances, he claimed that 60% of management income is distributed equally among Manifest members, while 40% covers project expenses.

Akış also addressed allegations regarding the working conditions of the group members. He admitted that contractually, members are restricted from making independent advertising posts on social media to protect the project, and that certain penalties apply for contract violations. However, he denied claims that members were forced to attend vacations with him or were pressured to perform while ill, asserting that medical professionals are present at their concerts.

His lawyer, Kaya Pulat, has challenged the arrest, arguing that the charges regarding obscene content are based on a previous legal case from a September 2025 concert that had already been resolved, and that Akış is being held responsible solely due to his role as producer.