13.04.2026 12:05
Former referee Elif Karaarslan, who has come to the forefront with high social media income, was detained during a drug operation held in Istanbul and was taken to the courthouse, while the first images of Karaarslan also emerged.
A notable development occurred in the drug operation targeting famous names in Istanbul. Elif Karaarslan, who was expelled from refereeing by the Turkish Football Federation, was among those taken into custody.
19 SUSPECTS DETAINED IN THE OPERATION
Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an operation was carried out regarding the crimes of "drug use and supply," "promoting or facilitating prostitution," and "facilitating drug use." A total of 19 suspects, including Elif Karaarslan, were detained in the operation. Hair, blood, and urine samples were taken from the suspects.
THEY WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE COURT
After completing their procedures at the Narcotic Crimes Branch and the Forensic Medicine, the suspects were transferred to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan following a health check.
HER INCOME ON SOCIAL MEDIA HAD BECOME A TOPIC
After being expelled from refereeing in 2024, Elif Karaarslan turned to social media and attracted attention with her earnings. Karaarslan, who has approximately 800 thousand followers on Instagram, reached a wide audience in a short time with her subscription system.
HER MONTHLY INCOME EXCEEDED 2 MILLION
It was reported that Karaarslan, who reached 25,600 subscribers, earned over 2 million TL from the monthly subscription fee of 79.90 TL alone. It was stated that this income increased even more with sponsored content.
THE EXPULSION PROCESS FROM REFEREEING HAD BECOME A TOPIC
Elif Karaarslan was expelled by the TFF after allegations of having a relationship with referee observer Orhan Erdemir. Karaarslan denied the allegations, claiming that the images in question did not belong to her.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
A video of 61-year-old observer Orhan Erdemir and 24-year-old referee Elif Karaarslan having a relationship last season had spread on social media. Following the video, the Turkish Football Federation took action and banned both individuals for life from their positions. Karaarslan, who claimed that the video was a product of artificial intelligence, stated that the person in the video was not her and that her lawyers would initiate legal action regarding these accusations.