Fifteen people connected to Sedat Şahin, the leader of one the biggest organized crime networks in Turkey who has links to far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, have been detained, Turkey’s interior minister announced.
The MHP is an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who has announced the capture of a number of international criminals in Turkey since taking office in June 2023, on Tuesday said on X that 15 people with links to Şahin’s criminal organization “Şahinler” (Hawks) were apprehended.
Antalya merkezli 3️⃣ ilde düzenlenen “KAFES-27” Operasyonunda "ŞAHİNLER" olarak bilinen Organize Suç Örgütü Çökertildi❗
Operasyonda aralarında örgüt elebaşı İlkay YILMAZ’ın da yer aldığı 1️⃣5️⃣ şüpheli gözaltına alındı❗️Operasyon devam ediyor❗️
Aziz Milletimizin Bilmesini İsterim… pic.twitter.com/UASZaHJElL
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) January 2, 2024
According to Yerlikaya, the suspects, including Şahinler ringleader İlkay Yılmaz, were detained in “Operation Cage-27” conducted in Antalya, Kocaeli and Muğla provinces and the criminal organization was dismantled.
The minister said the suspects took over some businesses in Antalya by threatening the owners. He added that they also threatened the customers in some entertainment venues, benefited from local businesses free of charge, assaulted the employees of the workplaces who demanded money in return for their services and put pressure on the locals by traveling in large groups.
Three unregistered pistols and a large number of cartridges were seized during the operation.
In July 2023, Şahin visited MHP leader Bahçeli a day after being released from prison. MHP Deputy Chairman Semih Yalçın shared a photo of the visit on social media, referring to Şahin as a “brother.”
Bahçeli has always taken pride in making public his camaraderie with mafia bosses. He had earlier been visited several times by Alaattin Çakıcı, Turkey’s biggest mafia boss, and Kürşad Yılmaz.
Meanwhile, the Cumhuriyet daily on Tuesday reported that Yerlikaya had also claimed that Şahinler had been “dismantled” when announcing a similar operation against the organization on September 29.
İSTANBUL MERKEZLİ 7️⃣ İLDE EŞ ZAMANLI DÜZENLENEN OPERASYONLARLA ŞAHİNLER ÇETESİ OLARAK BİLİNEN SUÇ ÖRGÜTÜ ÇÖKERTİLDİ❗️
ÇETE LİDERİ MEHMET ŞAHİN DAHİL 4️⃣1️⃣ ŞÜPHELİ YAKALANDI❗️
ÇETELERİN, ORGANİZE SUÇ ÖRGÜTLERİNİN NEFESLERİNİ KESECEĞİZ❗️
İstanbul Organize Suçlarla Mücadele Şube… pic.twitter.com/65UMfkxnS8
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) September 29, 2023
Twenty-two members of the organization were arrested in the operation that was carried out in seven provinces, including İstanbul, and Şahin’s nephew Mehmet Şahin was among those arrested.