Amid mounting allegations of state-sanctioned corruption and criminal activities, a recent United Nations report has shed light on Turkey’s deepening involvement in international cocaine trafficking under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The report points to an alarming surge in drug seizures and a concerning pattern of organized crime syndicates exploiting Turkey as a key transit point for the distribution of cocaine across Europe and the Middle East.
“Turkey has been increasingly used as a transit country for cocaine in recent years. Since 2014, the amount of the drug seized in the country has increased sevenfold from 393 kg to a record 2.8 tons in 2021. Some of the cocaine reaching Turkey arrives after transiting through West Africa, and some comes directly from Latin America”, said the report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on April 6, 2023.
“The use of South-Eastern Europe for cocaine trafficking is likely to continue to increase as the region is another entry point for cocaine destined primarily for European markets”, the report highlighted, pointing to Turkey as the crossing point by air and sea for such trafficking. “The points of departure for cocaine trafficked to Turkey remain in South America”.
The report said some of the cocaine reaching Turkey arrives after transiting West Africa and some comes directly from Latin America, with the outbound cocaine flowing westward from Turkey through the Black Sea and the Balkans, a route traditionally associated with the trafficking of opiates and the smuggling of cigarettes.
The UN said, the growing supply of cocaine transiting Turkey adds another stream through the Balkans, and it was predicted the Balkan route is likely to continue growing in importance, with Balkan criminal actors more active in the European cocaine market than ever.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the quantity of cocaine seized in Turkey has risen dramatically, reaching a staggering 2.8 tons in 2021 from 393 kg in 2014. The report emphasized Turkey’s strategic position as a gateway for cocaine entering the region, with routes originating from Latin America and traversing West Africa, Southeastern Europe, and the Balkans. This upward trend has raised serious apprehensions about the nation’s role in facilitating the global drug trade.
A series of high-profile seizures in various European countries, including the Netherlands, Spain, and Malta, linked back to Turkey have brought to light the intricate web of connections between Turkish government officials, criminal networks, and illicit drug operations. Shockingly, these incidents have been met with minimal investigation and negligible prosecution within Turkey, raising concerns about the extent of political protection afforded to those involved in the criminal enterprise.
The report further implicates Mehmet Kemal Ağar, a well-known nationalist politician, and former minister, as a key figure in controlling the cocaine trafficking network within Turkey. Ağar’s alleged ties to Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and President Erdogan have been under scrutiny, with claims of their complicity in enabling drug trafficking operations for personal gain.
The laundering of drug money through various channels, including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and intricate business networks, has exacerbated the complexity of the issue. The involvement of prominent political figures and their family members in these illicit activities has raised questions about the integrity of Turkey’s governance and its commitment to combating organized crime.
Moreover, the UNODC report’s implications have been corroborated by additional investigations revealing a merging of cocaine and fentanyl trafficking networks, exacerbating concerns about the broadening scope of criminal activities under the Erdogan government’s watch.
The significant scale of the drug trade’s expansion within Turkey, coupled with the lack of robust law enforcement actions and an apparent purge of anti-drug trafficking units, underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms and international cooperation to combat the growing influence of criminal networks within the country. It also calls for a thorough reassessment of Turkey’s policy frameworks to prevent the exploitation of its citizenship and investment programs by individuals with ties to international drug trafficking.
As Turkey continues to grapple with the implications of its emerging role in global drug trafficking, the need for accountability, transparency, and a concerted effort to dismantle criminal networks and illicit activities has never been more pressing.
