Turkish police have arrested 16 adult content creators linked to OnlyFans, which is banned in the country, over allegations of money laundering.
According to prosecutors and local media reports on Friday, the arrests followed coordinated raids carried out on Thursday in several locations, including Istanbul and the capital, Ankara.
The Istanbul public prosecutor’s office said the suspects were accused of sharing and promoting “obscene images and videos” through OnlyFans, as well as advertising the platform on other social media channels, reportedly including the messaging app Telegram.
Investigators also seized assets worth about 300 million Turkish lira (approximately $6.9 million). These included two companies, 10 properties, and 14 vehicles.
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Prosecutors said there were strong indications that the suspects laundered money earned from illegal adult content activities by investing in various assets, although they did not confirm whether all the seized properties were purchased directly with proceeds from OnlyFans.
A total of 25 people were named in the arrest warrant, but only 16 had been taken into custody as of Friday. Reports added that at least five of the suspects are believed to be outside the country.
OnlyFans, a subscription-based platform popular for adult content, was officially blocked in Turkey in June 2023 after a court ruled that the platform contained material considered inconsistent with public morality and family values. Despite the ban, many users reportedly still access the site through VPN services.
