Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-BaSln Özeti
, Turkish Daily News MONDAY,MARCH3,1997
US report points to'Turkish police
corruption in drug investigations'
'Four-to-six metric tons of heroin
a month leave Turkey for
western Europe'
Turkey is declared among the
worst for money laundering
UGURAKINCI
Washington-Turkish
DsHy News
.The U.S. State Department published its
1997 global report on narcotics trafficking,
one which won 't bring ,smiles to any faces '
in Turkey since it portrays the country as "a '
major transit route for southwest Asian narcotics
(especially heroin) for the western
Eurooean market and, toa lesserextent, the
U.S. 4 -, '
Police corruption
What' s more, some of that trafficking is
carried out through various cOrruJ?tofficers
within the Turkish security {)rgamzations,
the report alleges or implies.
Concerning the case of the money courier
coming from Europe on her fIftieth trip
in 1996, the U.S. State Department's 1997
International Narcotics Control Strategy
Report says, "Police corruption in drug
investigations, long kept under the surface,
appears to be fmally coming to light."-The
,arrested courier "identifIed senior Turkish
police officers as her conduit for the drug
money shecarried."
Susurluk
The "Susurluk scandal" was also touched
upon in the report as a serious case of
"alleged corruption of st,ate officials," with,
however, the explanation that "there is no
goveinment of Turkey policy encouraging
or facilitating the illicit production or distribution
of drugs, or money laundering.
"In November, 1996, a Mercedes carrying
a member of Parliament, a former '
deputy police chief, and'a wanted Interpol
murder suspect (alleged to be a ~t ~ for
Turkish drug traffickers) (and his grrlfriend)
crashed into a truck, killin~ the '
occupants (sic)" - except the politician,
one might add. Interior Minister Mehmet
Agar; a former po~ce chief himself~ h~d to
resign after the event. ,
, On the positive side, the State
Department r~port drew attention to the fact
that all the corruption elicited public outrage
and had put the issue on the political
•agenda. "Corruption and money laundering
have become major topics on Turkey's
political agenda ...
The public outrage of the disclosures (of
police corruption in drug investigations)
bodes well for needed changes in anti-corruption
efforts."
Processing and drug routes
"Turkey is not, and is not likely to become,
a major illicit opium-growing country or a
producer of jJI'ecursor chemicals. It does
playa significantrole in erocessing opiate
raw material into heroin, the study said.
While illicit drug trafficking is a problem,
"licit opium production is strictly controlled,
and there has been no known diversion
into illicit chaDnels."
"As much as 75 percent ofheroin seized
in Europe bas been processed in or smuggled
through Turkey," the report. said.
"Turkey is an important processing center
of illicit opiate products, and a traditional
narcotics transit route ... the DEA estimates
that four to six mt (metric tons) of heroin a ,
month leave Turkey for western Europe."
Istanbul not mentioned
In last year's report, Istanbul was spotligbted
as a "key drug transit and processing
center." In this year's report, the city is not
mentioned as such.
As in last year's report, Turkey's control
over the Balkans route was again empha-
"sized. ''Turkish trafficking groups, WIth
distributors in ethnic enclaves in major
European cities, control much of the
Balkan route heroin trade,"- this year's
study read. ,
Morphine base, heroin base, and heroin
from Pakistan, Afghanistan'and Iran "are
smuggled into Turkey across the
TurkishlIranian border or through Turkish '
ports,"- the study explained. "These drugs
transit Turkey to western Europe, most
commonly in TIR (sealed Transport
Internationale Routier) trucks."
PKK and drugs
The Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK)
involvement ,in Qr1Jgs.isalso confmned
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