Crime leader's cocaine smuggling allegations against former PM's son on parliamentary agenda

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Alpay Antmen brought crime leader Sedat Peker's allegations of international drug trafficking into the parliamentary agenda.

In a video he released on Sunday, Peker claimed that Erkam Yıldırım, the son of former PM Binali Yıldırım, traveled to Venezuela twice in January and February 2021 to organize drug trafficking to Turkey.

They chose Venezuela because the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has no control over the country and it's easy to transfer cocaine from Colombia, which shares an 800-kilometer long border with it, he said.

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While it was evident that Erkam Yıldırm traveled to Venezuela as he is seen in a photo shared by a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on social media, he visited the country only once and it was in December, Binali Yıldırım said in response to the claims.

He went there as a businessperson and distributed coronavirus test kits and masks, he said.

Citing this statement, MP Antmen said in his motion that the number of average daily cases was about 300 in Venezuela at the time, while it was about 30,000 in Turkey.

"Why did Erkam Yıldırım provide medical supplies, especially masks and test kits, to Venezuela, which is 10,000 kilometers away?" he asked Trade Minister Mehmet Muş and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu.

After Peker's claims, a trade agreement signed between Ankara and Caracas has become a talking point. In accordance with the agreement, Turkey imported 1,500 tons of cheese with zero tariffs, according to a document of permission published in the Official Gazette on August 22, 2020.

MP Antmen asked whether an operation was carried out against Erkan Yıldırım's companies for drug trafficking.

He also asked about the government's lack of action regarding five tons of cocaine that was seized by Colombia in a Turkey-bound ship. (DŞ/VK)