Ahmet Zorlu, the Kilis branch head of Turkish anti-addiction organization the Green Crescent (Yeşilay), was arrested after 800 grams of drugs were seized in his car, the Sözcü daily reported on Friday.
Founded in 1920, Yeşilay is a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating addictive habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption and drug use. The organization offers services and protective methods for all citizens, with a special focus on youths affected by harmful habits.
The organization is a member of the board of directors of Europe against Drugs (EURAD), the board of directors of the European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare) and the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP).
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chairman Erkan Kandemir visited Kilis last week and held a meeting with the party organization there. Following the visit, he traveled to Şanlıurfa in a vehicle convoy.
Zorlu’s car, which was in the convoy, was involved in a traffic accident while returning from Urfa. A tipoff was received by the authorities after the vehicle was left at a repair shop in Gaziantep.
According to Sözcü, the gendarmerie seized 800 grams of drugs, a precision scale and a mobile phone in the car. Zorlu, who was in Kilis, was summoned to Gaziantep. His statement was taken at the prosecutor’s office and he was arrested by the court.
Zorlu reportedly denied the accusations, claiming that he was not aware of the presence of drugs and that the vehicle was rented.
Reşit Polat, a former AKP Kilis MP with whom Zorlu had worked, told Sözcü that he could not believe the development.
“As far as I know, he [Zorlu] is not someone who would do this. I think there was a mistake,” he said.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that Zorlu had posted a photo of himself with former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption, “We are together with our Interior Minister Mr. Süleyman Soylu, the valiant and brave son of Anatolia,” in 2018.
Anadolu’nun yiğit ve mert evladı İçişleri Bakanımız Sayın Süleyman Soylu’yla birlikteyiz. pic.twitter.com/CJSg5ABbNr
— Ahmet Zorlu (@AhmetZorlu79) February 4, 2018
The photo brought to mind previous pictures of Soylu with people who had been detained or arrested on various charges, including drug-related offenses.
Among such figures with whom Soylu appears in pictures are Murat Alp, a participant in a racist attack in 2017 on the funeral of Hatun Tuğluk – mother of jailed Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk; Hasan Sel, who together with his brother Hüseyin Sel physically attacked a pregnant woman and her husband in 2019; and Durak Uygun, father of Ümitcan Uygun, the main suspect in a murder trial.
During Soylu’s time in office, Turkey faced allegations of involvement in international drug trafficking, primarily driven by Turkish mob boss Sedat Peker. In a series of dramatic videos in 2021, Peker accused Soylu and other high-ranking officials of protecting and facilitating cocaine trafficking networks.