Turkish President Backs Embattled Minister Against Mafia Leader’s Accusations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference, 18 March 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/STR

In his seven YouTube videos, which have been watched more 54 million times by May 26, Sedat Peker has made unsubstantiated allegations of rape, corruption, smuggling, extortion and secret contacts between state officials and organised crime groups.

He also alleged that he and his family had been "supporting" Soylu for more than 20 years. "You were my return ticket to the country," Peker said, and added: "You will be defeated by a camera on a tripod."

"We supported and we will support our interior minister Soylu against organised crime groups," Erdogan told the Turkish parliament, adding that Peker's real target was Turkey, not Soylu, and dismissing the accusations as a game.

"We will bring organised crime groups leaders to the Turkey like we did with the FETO members and PKK members [Kurdish militants]," Erdogan continued. [FETO is an acronym used by officials for supporters of exiled preacher and Erdogan archfoe Fethullah Gulen.]

Erdogan's belated statement of support for the minister came after his far-right political partner, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, supported Soylu on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Soylu responded to the questions raised about the claims made by Peker, who has been living now in Dubai after he lived in the Balkans for more than a year-and-a-half, also saying he was not the real target.

"There is an economic attack against Turkey. They want Turkey's economy to shrink and lose its capability to maneuver. I am not the subject. Turkey is the subject of this operation," Soylu said in a TV interview on May 24.

He has denied having any connections with Soylu and...