Erdogan in hot spot as Turks question 'mafiazation' of politics
Erdogan risks a major political setback unless he manages to contain an unprecedented scandal sparked by a mobster claiming close links with government figures.
A Turkish mobster who until recently organized rallies in support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and enjoyed favor with pro-government circles has been rattling Turkey since early May, posting a series of videos to expose what he paints as close links between the high stratum of politics and the underworld, including accusations of drug dealing, racketeering and even murder against members or cronies of the ruling party.
Though the country is no stranger to state officials colluding with criminals, the scope and gravity of the claims has fueled concerns over Turkey’s transformation under Erdogan, who, opponents say, has been monopolizing the Turkish state since assuming sweeping executive powers in 2018.
Sedat Peker, a convicted criminal gang leader who, according to his own account, left Turkey in late 2019 after getting wind of a police probe against him, has explicitly targeted Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who had allegedly promised him protection but did not keep his word; hence, Peker’s quest for score-settling. Up to 6 million people have watched each of the six hourlong videos Peker has posted on YouTube from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, prompting opposition calls for a parliamentary probe into his allegations.
Soylu and others in Peker’s crosshairs deny the accusations, but to many they are too trenchant to dismiss. The mobster has been providing details to back up his claims, including recordings of video calls with a pro-government journalist who, he says, was his go-between with Soylu. He has confessed also to his own role in publicly known incidents such as the battering of a former lawmaker and an attack on the offices of the daily Hurriyet, which he allegedly organized at the request of members of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).
