Photo: AA
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Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli has announced support for Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who has been under pressure due to the accusations by a formerly pro-government crime leader, Sedat Peker.
"Soylu is not alone. No can can put him on a leash," he told his party's parliamentary group today (May 25).
In his seventh video on Sunday, Peker said he would put him on a leash, in response to earlier remarks by the minister that Peker was "a helpless man hiding behind his wife's underwear."
"Turkey's agenda can't be taken hostage with video recordings, it can't be taken over by social media slander," Bahçeli said.
Soylu then thanked him on Twitter for "demonstrating a strong will against the operation targeting Turkey."
Peker's videos have gone viral since early May, attracting more than 50 million views.
In the videos, Peker makes serious allegations against current and former government officials, including international drug trafficking, political assassinations and corruption.
He also makes confessions about the crimes he committed in support of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), including organizing an attack on a newspaper's office and on a former MP.
CLICK - Sedat Peker's new video targets Interior Minister Soylu
CLICK - Government official quoted by BBC Turkish confirms some of Peker's claims
Bahçeli also defended former PM Binali Yıldırım, whose son was accused by Peker of setting up a new cocaine route between Colombia, Venezuela and Turkey.
"To implicate Mr. Binali Yıldırım ... and his son and associating him with drug trade is simply being a slanderer," said Bahçeli.
"We cannot make concessions to, welcome or turn a blind eye to those who are rubbing their hands ... to make Turkey a target of dark operations.
"With the awareness of this duty, we stand with our government. We stand with our state. We are against street gangs, terrorist organizations and the great powers. Because we are the People's Alliance."
CLICK - Sedat Peker claims to reveal new cocaine route between Colombia-Venezuela-Turkey
After a silence of three weeks, Bahçeli has become the one who gave the firmest support to the interior minister as most senior government officials and pro-government media have been mostly silent about the issue.
President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan touched on the topic only once, without mentioning the names of Soylu and Peker, when he said on May 17 that "As those who avoid condemning the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] are walking on the same path with gangs, I'd like to remind this: Criminal gangs are like a venomous snake. If you are in the same sack with them, you consent to what will happen to you afterward."
While his message was apparently to the opposition, some said the second part of his remarks was also a covered message to Soylu.
Soylu and Peker
The mafia leader describes Soylu as "a man I've invested in for 20 years," since the start of his political career while Soylu denies any relationship with him.
Peker says it was Soylu who informed him about an investigation against him so that he was able to leave the country in late 2019 before getting arrested.
He also claims that Soylu had promised him that he would return to the country in April.
To prove his claims, Peker released the recording of a video call between him and a journalist who was apparently mediating between him and Soylu in early May.
Soylu said that the conversation was not within his knowledge, which was also admitted by journalist Hadi Özışık.
Peker also shared a photo showing Soylu together with a person whom he described as "my former right hand."
Other allegations by Peker against Soylu include corruption and drug trafficking. (DŞ/VK)
