Mafia is the 'third partner' of Turkey's ruling alliance, says main opposition leader

Photo: AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has criticized the government for remaining silent about mob boss Sedat Peker's revelations.

Questioning why prosecutors haven't taken action about Peker's videos, Kılıçdaroğlu said, "The Republic of Turkey has ceased to be a state of law. The judiciary is absolutely not impartial and independent" at his party's parliamentary group meeting today (June 8).

Peker, a well-known figure of Turkey's underworld since the 1990s, has been releasing videos on YouTube about state-mafia relations since early May.

He has made serious allegations against government officials, including international drug smuggling, political assassinations, corruption and sexual assault.

While government officials, including the president, have dismissed some of Peker's claims, they haven't been particularly vocal about the issue that has been at the center of Turkey's politics for over a month now.

CLICK - After weeks of silence, Erdoğan defends interior minister against crime boss's claims 

"An important actor of the underworld makes statements. Newspapers, TVs are discussing this. No words from those who hold the power..." said Kılıçdaroğlu. "Those who hold the power and the mafia rule the state in partnership. The third partner of the People's Alliance is the mafia."

"Not one, not two, but dozens of events that would overthrow a government have been revealed and no words from the guys..." he added.

HDP closure case

Kılıçdaroğlu also criticized a renewed application for the closure of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) due to its alleged ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"In a country where democracy needs to be defended, you can't close a party. Close it if it resorts to violence, oppression. Close it if the party's leaders show up with weapons," he remarked. "But if the prosecutor acts upon instructions by the [political] authority, then this means there is no democracy there."

Yesterday, the chief prosecutor of the Court of Cassation renewed an application for the HDP's closure. A previous application was rejected on procedural grounds by the Constitutional Court on March 31. (AS/VK)