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Top Turkish minister fights corruption allegations from exiled mafia boss

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said he would not resign and defended his record against allegations by an exiled mafia boss whose wide-spanning YouTube confessions have gripped Turkish politics.

Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu speech during a meeting to discuss cooperation on migration management in Ankara, Turkey, October 3, 2019.
Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu speeks during a meeting to discuss cooperation on migration management in Ankara, Turkey, Oct. 3, 2019. — ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

ISTANBUL — Top Turkish officials continue to grapple with a growing list of allegations made by an exiled mafia boss, whose ongoing series of YouTube revelations have rattled Turkish politics.

Since early May, Sedat Peker, a convicted organized crime leader believed to be in Dubai, has been posting hour-long videos implicating current and former high-level officials of crimes including drug trafficking, racketeering, rape and murder.

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