Three Turkish judges were suspended after being accused of accepting a $720,000 bribe to free associates of a notorious Dutch drug lord, Turkish Minute reported.
The Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) suspended O.A., the presiding judge of the İstanbul 15th High Criminal Court, along with court members A.A. and V.G.
The suspension came after a tip-off to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office that the judges had allegedly agreed to the bribe a day before the court rendered its decision.
The case stems from a 2023 operation against drug traffickers that led to the arrest of 23 people, including Abdullah Alp Üstün, a suspected associate of Dutch drug baron Joseph Johannes Leijdekkers. Leijdekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos” or “Chubby Jos,” is said to maintain an extensive cocaine network in Latin America, Europe, Turkey and Australia.
Although they face up to 82 years in prison, 15 of the imprisoned suspects were released by the 15th High Criminal Court, causing a public outcry. Prosecutors immediately appealed the release, but the suspects had already disappeared.
The HSK launched an investigation into the allegations with the approval of Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç. Inspectors were assigned to investigate the circumstances of the release.
The operation on June 13, 2023, which targeted Leijdekkers’ network, resulted in the seizure of over 1 billion lira ($37 million) in assets, including 100 million lira ($3.7 million) in cash and jewelry. Despite the extensive evidence, including a comprehensive report by the Financial Crimes Investigation Authority (MASAK), the court ruled in favor of release.
Leijdekkers, who had acquired Turkish citizenship through investment and lived in İstanbul and Bodrum, remains at large. He entered Turkey both under his real name and under the alias “Daniel Ernst,” using the country’s residence permit system.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) “Global Report on Cocaine 2023” revealed Turkey’s rising role as a transit country for cocaine. In 2021 Turkish authorities seized a record 2.8 tons of cocaine, reflecting a sevenfold increase in drug seizures since 2014. The report notes that some cocaine reaches Turkey via West Africa, while other shipments come directly from Latin America. The outbound flow from Turkey primarily moves westward through the Black Sea and the Balkans.
The crackdown on drug trafficking networks in Turkey gained momentum following a cabinet reshuffle in President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration in June of last year. The new leadership appears to be taking a harder stance against drug trafficking, which was allegedly facilitated by authorities under the previous interior minister, Süleyman Soylu.
During Soylu’s time in office, 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.
Observers speculate that the recent shift in Turkey’s stance on drugs may be part of a broader effort to restore the rule of law and reassure international investors amid Turkey’s economic challenges.
