Turkish Airlines: can I drop off my luggage more than 3 hours before departure in Istanbul?

I have a stopover in Istanbul for few days. Outbound flight with Turkish Airlines departs at 2 am and I'd like to drop off the luggage not 2 hours before departure, at midnight, but 8 hours, let's say at 6pm. Meanwhile, I don't want to come to the airport and stay with luggage before check-in desk for 6 hours before check-in opens.

With Emirates I did it in Dubai 20 hours before departure and there were no problems with it. Does somebody have similar experience with Turkish in Istanbul?

I know that the best answer is to call and ask them directly. I did it. Twice and I got different answers. I have a strong feeling that their agents don't know the answer...