Erdogan’s Family Caught in New Scandal First appeared: http://journal-neo.org/2015/12/28/erdogans-family-got-caught-in-a-new-scandal/
The clan relations principle has
been a prime factor in business affairs for centuries in
numerous Islamic and Middle Eastern countries. Unfortunately, in recent
months we’ve often witnessed evidence that in Turkey the family of
Tayyip Erdogan has been transformed in some sort of carnivorous octopus
that has not simply entangled the Turkish economy and politics, but has
also extended its tentacles far beyond the state.
It is hardly necessary to remind
anyone of all the scandals in which the members of this family have
been engaged. Here are just some examples of its connections with the
Islamic State (ISIL) and other terrorist groups:
- Erdogan’s daughter – Sümeyye Erdogan – has been running a covert military hospital, which is treating Islamic State militants.
- With the consent of Erdogan, Turkish intelligence experts have been training Islamists at secret bases in the Konya Province inside the Turkish border.
- The Islamic State is secretly cooperating with the third son of the President, Bilal Erdogan, to smuggle stolen oil through seaports that remain under his direct control. These criminal activities are covered by the BMZ Group Denizcilik ve İnşaat Sanayi Anonim Şirketi company that transports stolen Syrian and Iraqi oil to international markets.
After a series of reports on his
involvement in illegal activities, Tayyip Erdogan ordered a series of
arrests targeting independent journalists in a desperate bid to cover up
his role in the illegal operations. For instance, Turkish special
forces arrested the editor and correspondent of the Turkish newspaper
“Respublika” Can Dündar and Erdem Gul who published an article on the
weapons supplies to ISIL militants that Turkish authorities had
been running. President Erdogan has demanded that those journalists must
spend the rest of their lives in jail without any chance to be released
whatsoever.
However, Western officials and international organizations couldn’t
care less about all these facts. Moreover, Tayyip Erdoganhas has
received much positive attention from EU officials, despite the role
he’s been playing in the rapidly expanding migration crisis.
It’s not surprising that there’s
an ever growing number of those opposing the policies of the Turkish
President across the globe. For instance, graffiti stating that Erdogan
is a terrorist has been pained on the walls of Johns Hopkins University
in Bologna,
Italy. An unprepared reader might ask: why Bologna? – The answer is
simple. Bilal Erdogan has been trying to get a degree in this
institution.
However, his recent visit to Italy has been marked by yet another scandal. It’s been reported that Murat Hakan Uzan –
a member of a family of Turkish businessmen that has been opposing
Erdogan and his clan and therefore was forced to emigrate to France
because of continuous persecution in Turkey, has demanded Italian law
enforcement authorities to investigate the activities of Erdogan’s son –
Bilal. According to Italian media, this family accused Bilal Erdogana
of violating European and, in particular, Italian financial laws, since
he has allegedly brought with him a considerable amount of cash in an
attempt to launder it in Italy.
The plaintiffs consider themselves to be the victim of the family of
President Erdogan, who illegally took possession of their business in
Turkey. The Italian authorities have been desperately trying to downplay
this scandal.
At the direction of President Erdogan, the Turkish representatives in
Italy are actively trying to gloss over this matter and prevent leaks
of information to the media.
Taking into account the
previously existing cases of involvement of family members of Erdogan in
various illegal transactions, the charges of their money laundering in
Italy may be well-founded.
We have already repeatedly witnessed numerous accusations against
Erdogan and his family regarding their involvement in a variety of
crimes. This includes providing aid to the Islamic State, a terrorist
organization, which constitutes a direct violation of the UN Securtity
Council. In these circumstances, it is surprising that this political
leader, which even in the US media is openly referred to as
“irresponsible and adventurous” continues with impunity to “steer”
Turkey and the Turkish people.
That is why now it is very
important to ask, what if the Bologna prosecutor’s office opened a case
to investigate B.Erdogana after considering accusations by the Uzan
family? Or, will Recep Erdogan, under the auspices of Washington (since
his son was enrolled to study at the American Institute) again is able
to avoid any legal prosecution, including an investigation into the
links of his family with international terrorism?
Martin Berger is a Czech-based freelance journalist and analyst, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.