3 October 2009 / MEHMET ÇAPKAN , İSTANBUL
Famous Turkish pop singer Deniz Seki, who had been jailed since February for using and selling cocaine, was released by an İstanbul court during a hearing on Thursday, prompting her to exclaim, “Yaşasın özgürlük” (Viva freedom), after leaving the courthouse.
The prosecution had demanded a sentence of between eight-and-a-half and 24.5 years for Seki. During the hearing, Seki expressed regret over her cocaine use and said she was ashamed of her actions. “I do not want to see that stuff -- cocaine -- again. I will participate in as many social projects against cocaine as I can from now on,” she said.Seki had started using the drug when she was involved in a relationship with married clarinetist Hüsnü Şenlendirici, which had received a harsh reaction from society. She said the things she has done and been through were not worthy of herself. The famous singer explained that she had been earning TL 20,000 per month and had a house and a car eight months ago, but has paid heavily for her mistake as she has nothing left now. “There is nothing more valuable than freedom,” she told reporters after the hearing. Sixteen other suspects were also tried in the hearing. One of the suspects, Sinan Yüksel, admitted selling Seki cocaine.
