Far-right mafia godfather Sendat Peker has long accused members of the government of corruption. And he’s not alone: The problem has deep roots.
Two high-ranking advisers to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan they lost their jobs a few days ago. Their names were linked to a bribery scandal. Serkan Taranoglu was fired by Erdogan and Korkmaz Karaca resigned, justifying his decision with health problems.
Behind the developments hides the ultra-nationalist godfather of the mafia, Sendat Peker. The former criminal ringleader has had close ties to President Erdogan for years, but has now become one of his fiercest critics. His recent revelations about the entanglement of politics with organized crime show that corruption has spread to the presidency. He has published private WhatsApp conversations and photos of texts on Twitter, which he claims prove that several people in Erdogan’s inner circle are involved in a bribery case.
Peker also accused AKP MP Zehra Taskesenlioglu and her brother and former head of the Capital Markets Supervisory Authority Ali Fouat Taskesenlioglu of corruption. The Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation for the first time since Peker’s revelations began.
Murder, drugs, rape
The opposition also filed lawsuits against members of the government based on Peker’s statements, but was unable to find any investigators willing to look into the case.
After his revelations last year, Peker became one of the main players in Turkish politics. He first posted a video on his YouTube channel in which he made serious accusations against politicians of the ruling AKP party. He said they were involved in murder, drug smuggling, abuse of power, rape and many other illegal activities. He specifically targeted Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu. To avoid the arrest warrant, Peker fled Turkey and is now in the United Arab Emirates.
On June 18 next year, Turks vote. American professor Ryan Gingeras researches the relationship between the state and criminal organizations and has been closely following organized crime in Turkey for a long time. “It is unclear what effect Peker’s claims will have on government supporters,” he says. The expert scientist maintains that whatever damage his statements were to cause, they have already done.
A deep-rooted problem
Corruption in Turkey does not only come from the current AKP government, but is historically deep-rooted. “For a hundred years now, Turkey’s economic policy has left a lot of room for illegal activities,” he says, referring to shady activities. The rifts, contradictions, and tensions in politics have set the stage for a highly lucrative informal economy,” points out Rain Gingeras.
Sendat Peker is not the only one talking about corruption in Turkey. Last year, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Turkey on the so-called “grey list” because measures taken to combat money laundering and terrorist financing were deemed insufficient.
Also, the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime makes serious allegations against Turkey and states that “Turkey is known as a mafia state and the evidence confirms that this is happening now more than ever”. According to the American professor, “Turkey has now become a center of organized crime” and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party doesn’t seem to have any problem with that.
DW – Burak Unburen/ Maria Rigoutsou
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
