The Supreme Court of Greece on Wednesday (February 21) decided to extradite 54-year-old Ali Yeşildağ, who had posted corruption allegations against Erdoğan and his family on social media, back to Turkey.
The court rejected Yeşildağ's objection to Turkey's extradition request and ruled for the extradition to proceed.
Yeşildağ had claimed to have close family and business relations with the Erdoğan family.
According to Ali Yeşildağ's claim, he maintained a close relationship with Erdoğan for over 40 years, along with his two brothers. However, in 2023, following a rift in his relations with both his brothers and Erdoğan, Yeşildağ publicly accused Erdoğan of corruption through a YouTube video he released.
Yeşildağ's allegations gained traction in political and media circles. While his claims were covered in the media, political leaders and security experts emphasized the need for an investigation into the allegations.
Meral Akşener, the leader of the İYİ Party, found Yeşildağ's claim of "1 billion dollars bribe to Erdoğan" believable, stating, "The Yeşildağ family is very close to the Erdoğan family, I know" and added that Yeşildağ's brothers entered prison with Erdoğan as his guards when Erdoğan was imprisoned.
According to the Kathimerini newspaper in Greece, Yeşildağ was apprehended by Greek border guards in mid-November 2023 while attempting to illegally cross the Greece-Turkey border in the rural area of Feres in northeastern Greece.
During their investigation, Greek police discovered an arrest warrant issued by Turkish Interpol for Yeşildağ, dating back to 1986, on charges of robbery and murder allegedly committed when he was 17 years old.
Following the court's decision for Yeşildağ's extradition, the execution of the decision is possible upon approval by Justice Minister Yorgo Floridis.
However, Yeşildağ and his family may file a new appeal at the Council of State against an extradition decision by the ministry. (AEK/PE)
