Adem Yavuz Arslan*
In the United States the Epstein scandal remains a symbol of how power and privilege can shield the darkest crimes. Yet despite its complexities, the story has been investigated. Victims have spoken, journalists have dug deep and courts have acted, albeit slowly and imperfectly.
Now imagine a country where similar allegations surface, involving child abuse, sex trafficking and powerful men with political connections. But instead of triggering outrage or investigation, the system goes into shutdown mode. The media is silenced. Whistleblowers are threatened. Evidence disappears.
That country is Turkey.
For over a decade, a series of abuse allegations have emerged in Turkey involving state-run orphanages, pro-government foundations and individuals with ties to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Yet not a single credible investigation has been allowed to proceed. Turkey has its own Epstein files, but they remain sealed, untouchable and unspeakable.
A legacy of impunity: from graft to abuse
The roots of this systemic cover-up lie in the government’s harsh response to the 2013 corruption probes. On December 17 and 25 of that year, investigations launched by prosecutors implicating then-prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s inner circle, including his own son Bilal, in bribery, money laundering and sanctions violations tied to Iran, became public with sweeping operations.
Wiretapped conversations appeared to show Erdoğan instructing his son to “zero” large sums of cash hidden in safe houses. Ministers were caught accepting millions in bribes. Documents and video evidence poured in.
Instead of facing justice, Erdoğan retaliated. He purged the judiciary, restructured the police and branded the investigations a “coup attempt” by a so-called “parallel structure.” The prosecutors and investigators were jailed or exiled. Since then, no major corruption probe has been permitted, regardless of how damning the evidence.
This culture of impunity didn’t just bury corruption. It created a political climate in which even more disturbing crimes such as sexual abuse could be ignored or suppressed.
The scandals no one dares to touch
In 2016 a horrific case emerged in the conservative central province of Karaman, where dozens of boys were sexually abused in dormitories affiliated with the pro-government Ensar Foundation. Despite overwhelming evidence and public outrage, the government rushed to defend the institution. Then-family minister Sema Ramazanoğlu sparked fury by saying, “A single incident should not tarnish a foundation.”
In subsequent years, whistleblowers and leaked audio recordings hinted at much broader networks of abuse involving high-ranking officials and government-aligned charities. In 2021 exiled mob boss Sedat Peker released a series of explosive videos claiming that AKP politicians and bureaucrats were involved in organized blackmail, drug trafficking and even sexual exploitation. He claimed to possess video evidence, but Turkish authorities launched no investigation. Instead, they blocked access to his content and threatened anyone sharing it.
Survivors have no safe legal pathways. Journalists face prosecution or censorship for pursuing these stories. Prosecutors refuse to act without political permission. And the public, worn down by years of repression, largely remains silent.
July 15: the great reset
The final blow to Turkish accountability came with a failed coup on July 15, 2016, a turning point that many observers now view with deep suspicion. The coup’s timing, its amateurish execution and the immediate purge that followed raised serious doubts about its authenticity. Within hours Erdoğan’s government dismissed thousands of judges, prosecutors and civil servants using pre-prepared lists. Entire institutions were gutted.
Under the cover of emergency rule, Erdoğan jailed over 100,000 people, shut down more than 170 media outlets and amended the constitution to grant himself near-absolute power. From that point on, there would be no more independent investigations into corruption, into abuse or into state-sanctioned crimes.
The cost of Western silence
Despite these grave abuses, Erdoğan’s Turkey has enjoyed remarkable lenience from its Western allies. As a NATO member and gatekeeper for millions of Syrian refugees, Turkey continues to be seen as a “strategic partner.” In return, the international community has largely turned a blind eye to the erosion of the rule of law.
Western media, too, often reduces Turkey’s crisis to a vague “authoritarian drift” — failing to confront the more disturbing truth: that the Turkish state has become a machine for impunity, protecting those in power from any form of accountability, including for crimes against children.
Locked files, broken system
Turkey’s own Epstein files, those involving child abuse, sexual exploitation, blackmail networks and elite immunity, remain sealed not because they are unfounded, but because they are too explosive. Opening them would not just implicate individuals. It would expose the inner workings of a regime that thrives on loyalty over law and secrecy over transparency.
A society that cannot confront the crimes of its most powerful men is a society in decline. Until Turkey breaks this wall of silence, its institutions will continue to rot from within. And the victims, forgotten and silenced, will remain the tragic cost of a system built to protect the powerful.
*Adem Yavuz Arslan is a journalist with over two decades of experience in political reporting, investigative journalism and international conflict coverage. His work has focused on Turkey’s political landscape, including detailed reporting on the 2016 coup attempt and its aftermath, as well as broader issues related to media freedom and human rights. He has reported from conflict zones such as Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq, and has conducted in-depth research on high-profile cases, including the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Arslan is the author of four books and has received journalism awards for his investigative work. Currently living in exile in Washington, D.C., he continues his journalism through digital media platforms, including his YouTube channel, Turkish Minute, TR724 and X.