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The mafia and organized crime in Türkiye is a complex and controversial topic that involves various criminal organizations, political actors, and historical events.
The term Turkish mafia refers to criminal groups based in Türkiye and/or composed of (former) Turkish citizens. Turkish originated crime groups are also active throughout Western Europe (where a strong Turkish immigrant community exists). Alternatively, they have a low profile in the Middle East, but there are strong claims that they have close ties with drug trafficking to the region and the Arab nations.
Many Turkish crime syndicates have their origin in two regions: the Black Sea coast of northeastern Türkiye, and the East and Southeast Anatolia in the south of the country. In both regions, public is known to be fond of guns. Some of organized crime actors are linked to the Grey Wolves that function as the youth wing of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the alliance partner of ruling AKP. Many Grey Wolves members were imprisoned after the 12 September 1980 military coup in Türkiye due to their direct involvement in the assassination and killings of leftist individuals in Türkiye.
Alaattin Çakıcı
One of the most notorious mobsters in Türkiye is Alaattin Çakıcı, who was accused of 41 political murders, and jailed for ordering a hit on his ex-wife, who was shot dead in front of their young son. He was freed from prison along with dozens of other mafia heavyweights in a coronavirus amnesty last year that notably ignored political prisoners. This amnesty was loudly supported by MHP for the release of Alaattin Çakıcı.
Çakıcı has a close relationship with Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the MHP and an influential coalition partner in the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Çakıcı has sent death threats to the leader of the main opposition party and boasted about friends in high places on social media. He also appeared in a photograph with a former interior minister and senior army officials in October 2020.
Peker's revelations
Sedat Peker is a notorious mob boss who has been making sensational allegations against the Turkish government and some politicians on his YouTube channel. He claims to have insider information about corruption, murder, rape, drug trafficking, and other crimes involving high-ranking officials. His videos have attracted millions of views and sparked public outrage and debate in Türkiye.
With a motto of “one tripod, one telephone”, Sedat Peker started posting his videos on April 15, 2020, and has released 10 episodes as of June 20, 2021.
He is said to live in Dubai and under digital isolation. Thus, he had to stop broadcasting new episodes. Up to now, there are not serious investigations regarding the revelations of Peker. Turkish Government is only focused of silencing Peker instead of investigating the allegations he asserts.
Foe or Ally of Mafia, the “ornate” Süleyman Soylu
Süleyman Soylu who is called "ornate Süleyman" by Peker, is the former Turkish interior minister who has been accused of having links to the mafia by a notorious mob boss named Sedat Peker. Peker has been releasing videos on YouTube where he claims to expose the corruption, crimes, and scandals involving Soylu and other high-ranking officials in the Turkish government. Some of the allegations that Peker has made against Soylu are:
- Soylu helped Peker escape from Türkiye by tipping him off about an investigation against him in January 2020.
- Soylu used to have a close relationship with Peker and provided him with police protection and support.
- Soylu rose to power through his family connections in the right-wing political parties.
- Soylu is part of a plot against Türkiye that involves opposition parties, media outlets, and terrorist organizations.
Soylu has denied all these accusations and said he will take them to court. He has also challenged Peker to return to Türkiye and face justice. He has accused the opposition leaders of giving credence to the claims of a “mafia dirt” and said that criminal gangs are "venomous snakes". Soylu has not addressed any of the specific allegations in detail and has dismissed them as a "plot against Türkiye". The Turkish government has not launched any official investigation into Peker’s claims so far. The public reaction to the videos has been mixed, with some people expressing outrage and disbelief, while others supporting Soylu and the government. Soylu went to United Arab Emirates to ask for Peker to be handed over to Türkiye so he could settle his score with him.
Soylu’s connection to organized crime is not limited to Peker only. He has many pictures with various gang leaders and criminals published in Turkish media outlets.
Recent Arrests in Ankara
The most recent arrest of a mafia boss in Ankara was that of Ayhan Bora Kaplan, who was detained on September 12, 2023, while trying to leave the country with several associates. Kaplan is a mob boss known for his alleged close ties to former Turkish interior minister Süleyman Soylu. He was the mob boss called by Minister Soylu and instructed to get armed gang members and go to Turkish Radio Television Broadcasting Company to support Soylu when he arrives there at the eve of the so-called military coup- 15 July Coup attempt.
The possible outcomes of Ayhan Bora Kaplan’s arrest are hard to predict, but the most probable scenarios are:
- Kaplan’s arrest will lead to a deeper investigation into the alleged corruption and crimes involving former interior minister Süleyman Soylu and other high-ranking officials. This could expose the dark connections between the mafia and the government, and potentially implicate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling party. This could also trigger a public backlash and a political crisis in Türkiye. However, this is the least expected outcome as it is not possible in Türkiye to expect any legal outcome that may disturb President Erdoğan.
- Another possible outcome is that Kaplan’s arrest will be a symbolic gesture that will not result in any significant changes or consequences. Kaplan may be released after a short trial, or given a lenient sentence, or even pardoned by the president. The authorities may not pursue any further inquiries into the allegations made by Sedat Peker, the mob boss who accused Soylu and others of protecting and facilitating cocaine trafficking networks. Due to public unrest regarding the rise of organized crime in Türkiye, this is seen as the most possible outcome. By demonstrating that kind of effort to fight against the mafia, the government could try to ease the public’s resentment.
- A third possible outcome is that Kaplan’s arrest will trigger violent retaliation from his associates or other criminal groups. Kaplan may have enemies or rivals in the underworld who may see his arrest as an opportunity to eliminate him or take over his territory. There may also be loyalists or supporters of Kaplan who may seek revenge against the authorities or the whistleblowers who exposed him. This could lead to a surge in crime and violence in Türkiye.
To Protect and Serve – Supreme Court Prosecutor Serving Criminal Groups
There is an alleged connection between Yüksel Kocaman, a supreme court prosecutor, and Ayhan Bora Kaplan. Kocaman is known for his close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling party. He has also delivered verdicts against opposition figures in critical cases.
Kocaman is one of the names that Kaplan mentioned in his statement to the police, where he confessed to looting the homes of critics of Erdoğan, exceeding $100 million in value. Kaplan said he gave bribes to Kocaman and other law enforcement officers and members of the judiciary who helped him carry out the burglaries. He also said that Kocaman was involved in drug trafficking and rape.
As of the date of this article, there was not any investigation against him and if any investigation starts, due to his close ties to President Erdoğan, his involvement to organized crime would be covered.
Recent Homicides in Greece
On September 11, 2023, six people were shot dead near Athens in a mafia-style execution. Greek police reports suggested the incident may be related to a conflict between organized criminal factions. All the victims were men and foreign nationals, possibly of Turkish or Serbian origin. They were found inside and near a vehicle with German license plates, which may have been fake. The assailants used a car and a motorcycle to escape. The victims are said to belong to the Barış Boyun gang from Türkiye.
This event reveals how Turkish organized crime groups that are resurfacing have global implications and pose future threats to the security of the countries around Türkiye.
Venezuelan Connection
The connection of Binali Yıldırım’s son with Venezuelan cartel and drug lords is a controversial and disputed topic that has been raised also by Sedat Peker. According to Peker, Yıldırım’s son Erkan, who is in the sea transport business with a large fleet, was involved in the cocaine traffic and has been to Caracas, Venezuela a few times to arrange the logistics. Peker also alleged that former interior minister Mehmet Ağar and his son Tolga Ağar were part of the scheme and that they had ties with a Venezuelan spy and drug trafficker named Walid Makled, who was arrested in Colombia in 2010 and extradited to Venezuela in 2011.
Binali Yıldırım, who served as the last prime minister of Türkiye from 2016 to 2018 and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly from 2018 to 2019, denied Peker’s claims, saying that his son went to Venezuela to “distribute Covid supplies.” “The allegations are absolutely slander, we strongly reject them. Putting us and drugs side by side is completely insulting,” he told reporters on May 23, 2021 at the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) headquarters. He also challenged Peker to return to Türkiye and face justice.
The Venezuelan cartel and drug lords that Peker referred to are likely related to the Cartel of the Suns, a term used to describe corrupt members of the Venezuelan military who are involved in drug trafficking. According to U.S. authorities, the Cartel of the Suns has several high-ranking Venezuelan officials on its payroll, including Hugo Carvajal, a former head of military intelligence who is wanted by the U.S. for drug trafficking charges. The Cartel of the Suns is also accused of smuggling cocaine from Colombia to Europe and the U.S. through various routes, including using Air France flights.
The connection of Binali Yıldırım’s son with Venezuelan cartel and drug lords is a serious allegation that has not been verified or investigated by any official authority so far. It is based on the testimony of a convicted organized crime boss who has a history of conflict with the Turkish government. It also involves complex and secretive networks of drug trafficking that span across continents and implicate powerful figures. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the truth or falsity of this claim without further evidence or inquiry. On the other hand, some YouTube videos show Venezuelan drug traffickers enjoying Turkish patriotic music, which indicates a strong link between them and Turkish nationalist figures.
Furthermore, there have been some cases of narcotic substances shipped to Türkiye from Venezuela being caught by the authorities in both countries. For example:
- In 2018, Venezuela dismantled a network that used the country’s main airport to smuggle drugs to Türkiye, Lebanon and France, arresting a top leader of Turkish-Venezuelan descent.
- In October 2021, a convicted Turkish trafficker was arrested with nearly 100 kilograms of cocaine in Peru’s Huánuco valley – a hub for production.
- In June 2020, Colombia’s narcotics police seized almost five tons of cocaine that were in two containers that were to travel by sea from the port of Buenaventura to Türkiye. The drug had a street value of $265 million in the illegal market.
Foreign Mafia Assassinations in Türkiye
There have been several cases of assassinating foreign mafia figures in Istanbul, Türkiye in recent years. Here are some of the most notable ones:
- Jovan Vukotic, the leader of Montenegro’s notorious Skaljari drug gang, who was involved in a bloody feud with a rival clan, Kavac. He was shot dead in his car in central Istanbul in September 2020 by two hitmen on a motorbike.
- Nadir Salifov, a reputed member of the “thieves-in-law” criminal syndicate, who had been known as a top crime boss in Russia and Azerbaijan. He was shot dead at a restaurant in Antalya on August 19, 2020 by one of his bodyguards, who allegedly acted on orders from a rival gang leader.
- Rovshan Janiyev, an Azerbaijani mobster who had close ties with Turkish crime groups and politicians. He was gunned down in Istanbul in 2016 by two masked assailants on a motorbike.
· On 20 September 2023, Magamet Kurbanov, nephew of Nadir Salifov who was also assassinated, was the target of a violent attack by unidentified gunmen in Beylikdüzü, a district of Istanbul. He was in a car with three other people, including a retired police officer named Yılmaz Demir, when the assailants opened fire on them. Demir was killed on the spot, while Kurbanov and the others were wounded. The attackers were allegedly members of an Uzbek crime group that had a feud with Salifov’s gang. They used a stolen car and several weapons to carry out the assassination attempt. They fled the scene after shooting at the car several times. The police found the abandoned car and the weapons later and launched an investigation to capture the suspects.
These are just some of the examples of the violence and rivalry that plague the Turkish underworld. The foreign mafia figures are attracted to Turkey by its strategic location, lax legislation, and corrupt officials. They often use forged passports to enter and exit the country, making it hard for the authorities to track them down.
In addition to these assassinated mafia leaders, many well-known mafia bosses are said to live in İstanbul and touristic sites of Türkiye due to a closed eye of Turkish authorities to them.
For example, a drug smuggler named Isaac Bignan, who is also known as the “Black Mamba”, was arrested by the Turkish police in Istanbul on July 4, 2023. He was wanted by Interpol with a red notice and was the right-hand man of a Dutch drug baron named Joseph Johannes Leijdekkers. The Dutch government had put a bounty of 200.000 Euro on his head. He and his wife were hiding in the province of Muğla, but the police arrested him and seven others as they attempted to escape. He was freed soon after his arrest under house arrest, but he was caught again when he tried to run away from his home. The police found out that he had obtained Turkish citizenship, so he could not be extradited to Netherlands because he was a citizen of Türkiye.
Murder of Halil Falyalı
Halil Falyalı, a Turkish Cypriot tycoon and casino owner, was shot dead in his car in Kyrenia on February 10, 2021. He was also involved in illegal online gambling and crypto operations that were targeted by Turkish authorities in a crackdown that resulted in the seizure of $40 million worth of crypto assets. The motive and the perpetrators of the assassination are still unknown, but some speculate that it was related to a dispute over gambling revenues or a power struggle among rival gangs. In addition to his gambling business, Halil Falyalı is also known for his involvement in narcotic smuggling via Cyprus.
Political Assassination of Sinan Ateş
One of the most notable political assassination was of Sinan Ateş that occurred on December 30, 2022 in Ankara, Turkey. Sinan Ateş was a former leader of the Grey Wolves, a far-right nationalist organization affiliated with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). He was also a historian, academic, and politician who had close ties with some of the MHP’s officials. He was the former president of Ülkü Ocakları Eğitim ve Kültür Vakfı- official name of Grey Wolves, and is well-known for his efforts to disconnect Ülkü Ocakları and criminal narcotic mobs. He was shot dead by a gunman on a motorcycle as he left his office in the capital city Ankara’s Çankaya district.
The motive and the mastermind behind the murder are still unclear, but the police have detained several suspects in connection with the case. Some of the suspects are allegedly involved in another murder case that took place in Istanbul’s Maltepe district in 2013, where Hasan Ferit Gedik, an anti-drug activist, was killed by a group of drug dealers. The suspects are also accused of having links to terrorist groups and foreign intelligence agencies.
The murder of Sinan Ateş has sparked a political uproar and divided the nationalist camp in Turkey. Some of Ateş’s supporters have blamed the ruling AKP party and its ally MHP for being behind the assassination, accusing them of betraying the nationalist cause and collaborating with the enemies of Turkey. Others have expressed their loyalty to President Erdoğan and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli.
The assassination of Sinan Ateş is a complex and controversial issue that has implications for Turkey’s domestic and foreign affairs. It also raises questions about the role and influence of the Grey Wolves and other nationalist groups in Turkey’s politics and society.
Proved contact of high ranking MHP officials with the assailants and MHP Leader Bahçeli’s late condemnation of the tragic assassination made supporters of Sinan Ateş to claim a direct connection of Bahçeli to the assassination. Due to close ties of Bahçeli and President Erdoğan, it is impossible for any legal investigation to proceed enough to prove these allegations.
Emerging Narco-State
These cases show that Türkiye has become an emerging route for cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe and the Middle East, and that there are links between Turkish and Venezuelan criminal groups involved in the trade. It is sad to know that while tons of drugs are caught in respective countries, there is not any thorough investigation related to these shipments in Türkiye.
To sum up, amnesties have freed many organized crime and mafia members from jails, various crime leaders are seen posing with interior ministers in a cozy manner, notorious mafia figures are posting their photos with a former interior minister and high-ranking military officers, Turkish gangs are clashing with each other overseas, and many foreign mafia and gang leaders are moving to Türkiye and bringing their conflicts with them. These events clearly show that some Türkiye has become a new narco-state. Mafia and gangs are protected by police, law and politics. If it is too late to curb the power of the crime groups, Türkiye may turn into a paradise for crime.
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