 operations carried out between January 1 and December 31 of last year.){kind=link}
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced that a total of 420 criminal organizations were dismantled in Turkey in “Kafes” (Cage) operations carried out between January 1 and December 31 of last year.
The minister, who took office in early June, has announced the capture of many wanted individuals in Turkey since then.
According to Yerlikaya’s announcement on X, 11 of the organizations dismantled in 2023 were international, while the rest were domestic or regional.
The minister also stated that when classified according to the crimes they committed, 270 of the crime gangs are involved in organized crime, 128 in narcotics-related crimes and 22 in cybercrime.
Yerlikaya vowed to rid Turkey of organized crime groups as well as drug traffickers regardless of whether they are sought internationally or not.
1 Ocak 2023-31 Aralık 2023 tarihleri arasında:
❌ ORGANİZE SUÇ ÖRGÜTLERİNE yönelik düzenlenen “KAFES” Operasyonları kapsamında;
1️⃣1️⃣’i Uluslararası,
1️⃣4️⃣’ü Ulusal,
5️⃣6️⃣’sı Bölgesel ve
3️⃣3️⃣9️⃣’u Yerel olmak üzere toplam4️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ Organize Suç Çetesi çökertildi.
Aziz Milletimizin… pic.twitter.com/jpe11xcQgG
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) February 1, 2024
During the time in the office of Yerlikaya’s predecessor, Süleyman Soylu, 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.
Soylu’s departure from the ministry had brought his alleged involvement in international drug trafficking and ties to mafia groups into the spotlight, leading to significant changes in the Turkish police force and crackdowns on international drug rings.
Soylu was appointed interior minister shortly after a coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016. He was the architect of a massive purge and arrest of thousands of non-loyalist citizens on bogus terrorism or coup charges.
He was elected to parliament in the May general election as a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker and enjoys parliamentary immunity.