Sedat Peker, a Turkish organized crime boss who made headlines in 2021 for his explosive allegations targeting senior government officials’ involvement in crime and corruption, said he does not plan to return to Turkey despite speculation that his ties with a key far-right political leader could pave the way.
Speaking to the Turkish Sözcü daily, Peker dismissed recent rumors that he was preparing to return, reportedly with support from Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the ultranationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Turkish media had reported that the two men spoke several times by phone.
“I never said I would return or that I wanted to return,” Peker was quoted as saying Thursday by Sözcü. “I’ve always said it’s still too early.”
Peker cited two active arrest warrants in Turkey and the risk of pretrial detention as reasons for staying abroad, describing the charges as politically motivated and the product of “personal grudges” held by senior government officials. His legal team has repeatedly petitioned the courts to lift the INTERPOL Red Notice issued for him, most recently without success, according to a ruling by the İstanbul 16th High Criminal Court.
Once a vocal supporter of Erdoğan, Peker fled Turkey in early 2020 after reportedly drawing official scrutiny over his alleged knowledge of covert arms transfers to Syria. From exile in the United Arab Emirates, he released a series of viral videos in the summer of 2021 accusing current and former government officials, including Erdoğan’s then-interior minister Süleyman Soylu, of drug trafficking, corruption and political murders. His claims were widely covered in the Turkish and international media but never independently investigated by Turkish authorities.
Peker also denied claims that he had reconciled with Soylu, who remains a member of parliament for Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and enjoys parliamentary immunity. “Everyone who knows me knows that I never forget kindness, or betrayal,” he said. “Soylu is one of three people I will never forgive.”
Soylu served as interior minister from 2016 to 2023, a period marked by human rights violations and allegations of deepening links between state institutions and organized crime.
His departure from the ministry 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. He was elected to parliament in 2023 for Erdoğan’s ruling AKP and currently enjoys parliamentary immunity.
Although Peker had promised further disclosures ahead of Turkey’s 2023 general election, he has remained silent since mid-2022. Multiple media outlets reported that Emirati authorities warned him of possible assassination threats and restricted his activity under pressure from Ankara.
Peker is currently facing multiple charges in Turkish courts, including defamation, issuing threats and incitement. His legal status remains unresolved, and his asylum in the UAE has not been publicly confirmed.