“Dear nation, today in Alanya and Istanbul we arrested three leaders of internationally wanted gangster gangs,” Ali Yerlikaya announced on social media on Tuesday (December 19th). “No matter how powerful these gangs are, with whatever arrest warrant they are wanted, we will stop them,” the Turkish interior minister said.

Since he took office in June, hardly a day has gone by without the announcement of the arrest of some dangerous criminal – be it drug dealers, moneylenders, human traffickers or thieves, or high-ranking international gangs in recent years living in Turkey.

Now arrested are Thomas Joseph K., the boss of a major Polish drug-trafficking network, Daniel Alexander M., who was linked to a one-ton cocaine shipment found in Germany, and P. Jin-King, head of a Chinese fraudster network, as Interior Minister Yerlikaya informed X. Just last week he had announced the arrests of three more gang leaders with Belgian-British, Vietnamese and Arab roots.

About a month ago, Yerlikaya also announced that the Turkish police arrested all the leaders of Comanchero, a criminal gang with international activity. Among those arrested were some executives from Australia and New Zealand who were wanted by Interpol on an international arrest warrant.

Why do criminals choose Turkey?

For some time now, there have been indications that international gangs are in Turkey: shootings, murders, as well as some investigative reports by various journalists.

However, before Yerlikaya took over, there had been neither serious investigations nor prosecutions against these gangs, because the former Minister of the Interior Suleiman Soylou maintained close contacts with the mafia. During his tenure, leading members of the mafia and the Turkish underworld were released, with the result that Turkey effectively became a haven for international criminals, primarily from Serbia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Russia and Montenegro. This is something confirmed in a related question by DW and the Federal Criminal Service (BKA).

The raids by Turkish authorities have helped to collect photos and documents related to kidnappings, torture and murders, which reveal how such gangs carry out crimes from Spain to Turkey.

Elastic laws and golden passports

Why Turkey has become the second homeland of criminals in recent years is explained by experts based on four reasons. First, anti-money laundering legislation is very flexible. Second, almost every year the government grants amnesty to financial criminals. Third, one is allowed to travel there from many countries without requiring a visa. And fourth, someone who is rich can get Turkish citizenship immediately. Anyone who invests 500,000 dollars in Turkey or deposits such an amount for three years in a bank, as well as if he buys a property worth 400,000 dollars, can get Turkish citizenship. According to Christine Surak of the London School of Economics and Political Science, who has recently written a book on these so-called “golden passports”, every year around 50,000 people acquire the citizenship of another state in this way. About half of these “golden passports” are issued by Ankara.

Leaders of international gangs can also obtain Turkish citizenship if they meet any of the above conditions and if no arrest warrant has been issued against them by Interpol. Furkan Sezer, former head of the financial crime department at the Istanbul police, emphasizes that many criminals first become naturalized and then bring their property into the country – which is easy, due to the amnesty provided by the Turkish state, which allows physical and legal persons to report their unregistered assets to the tax authorities without having to pay tax on them in many cases.

Thus, money of unknown origin circulates in the legal financial circle. Ozan Bingol, an expert in tax law, criticizes the treaty in question. “Usually when laundering money criminals pay 15%-20% of the value.” But the Turkish government provides them with this opportunity without the obligation to pay taxes. The expert believes that this tactic opens the door wide for criminals, adding that the authorities do not have enough powers to fight money laundering. “If someone suddenly shows up today with a million dollars, the authorities are not allowed to ask him where he got the money,” he explains.

Corresponding loopholes in the law exist when it comes to investing in cryptocurrencies, which also attracts international gangs to Turkey. According to Bingol, these investments should be legislated as soon as possible.

Turkey on the gray list

The international Institute against Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (FAFT) also finds that Ankara needs to take a tougher stance against money laundering. Two years ago FAFT placed Turkey on its so-called gray list and since then the country has been under closer surveillance. Ankara wants to get off the said list during the next inspection, which is expected to take place next June. And all this in an already difficult period for the Turkish economy: President Erdogan’s unconventional policy of low interest rates has plunged the country into crisis, with the Turkish lira losing its value continuously and for years, while inflation is rising ever higher. more – it recently reached 61%. In addition, Erdogan’s involvement in monetary policy and justice was also a deterrent for many foreign investors.

But they are exactly what the country needs. New Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek is now seeking to attract international investment back to the country. In order to restore trust in Turkey, however, everyone will have to do their job efficiently. Not only Simsek, but also the Minister of Internal Affairs Yerlikaya in the fight against organized crime.