07.09.2026 12:20
Veyis Ateş, former Editor-in-Chief of Habertürk, who is on trial in a drug case facing up to 40 years in prison, rejected all accusations against him during his first appearance before a judge. Ateş, who claimed that he encountered Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who accused him of introducing him to drugs, in Silivri Prison, stated, 'He told me, "Brother, I am very sorry, I had to give a statement this way. Forgive me."'
Veyis Ateş, former Editor-in-Chief of Habertürk, who was arrested as part of a drug investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and faces a prison sentence of 25 to 40 years, appeared before a judge for the first time and gave his defense.
"WHY WOULD I OFFER IT LIKE CANDY?"
Ateş stated that he gave a statement on December 18 during the investigation process, was referred to the Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK), and examinations showed he did not use drugs. He said he was released initially but was detained at his home 11 days later and arrested. Reminding that the grounds for arrest were "providing a place for drug use," Ateş said in his defense: "For 9 months, I have been trying to understand this contradiction. I was asked if I went to Mehmet Akif's house. The house mentioned is not mine. Why would I procure a substance I did not use for someone else in a house that is not mine? Why would I offer it like candy? As someone who for years published news about drug use and knows it is a crime, it is impossible for me to commit such an act."
"HE APOLOGIZED AND ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS IN SILIVRI"
Referring to witnesses who testified against him, Ateş claimed that Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who had not mentioned him before his arrest, accused him in a supplementary statement given under the provisions of effective remorse. According to the news in Hürriyet, Ateş claimed he encountered Ersoy in the lawyer meeting area in Silivri Prison and recounted the dialogue: "When we met during a lawyer visit in Silivri, he said, 'Brother, I am very sorry, I had to give a statement this way. Forgive me; if I had not given a statement this way, they would have included me in the Habertürk change-of-ownership case, and I don't know what would have happened to me there.' My lawyer is a witness to this. Mehmet Akif clearly stated that he had to make these statements about me for another reason. I believe many of the people testifying against me were under Mehmet Akif's influence."
HE DENIED OTHER WITNESS CLAIMS
Ateş also pointed out contradictions in the statements of other witnesses in the file:
- Dilara Yıldız: Although she said she first used drugs in Alanya in August 2017, the indictment claims she started under my influence; her statements are contradictory.
- Serap Şeylan: She claimed I invited her to my home in Çengelköy. However, I never had a house in Çengelköy; I did not reside there.
- Ebru Güran: She claimed I behaved in a disturbing manner after using drugs together. If so, she should not have called me multiple times from Mehmet Akif's phone afterward to invite me to her home.
FORENSIC MEDICINE REPORT: DRUG TEST NEGATIVE
It was stated that blood and urine samples taken from Veyis Ateş during the investigation were analyzed at the Forensic Medicine Institute, and subsequent analyses found no narcotic, stimulant, or pharmaceutical active substances in his blood or urine. Hair analysis could not be performed because his hair was short. The court panel adjourned the hearing to a later date to complete missing aspects.