By Ryan Gingeras

June 17, 2021

As the Turkish public grapples with the repercussions of a crippled economy and a grinding pandemic, Turkey’s twitter-sphere, as well as much of its press, remains transfixed on the revelations of Sedat Peker. The videos reinforce certain realities regarding the Turkish state’s relationship with organized crime and with the violent far right. The impact of this reputed gangster on Turkish politics speaks to the influence of the country’s far right, which fits neatly within the country’s broader historical development since the 1970s. Peker’s videos are a reminder of the obstacle to democratization that the far right networks in the state represent.

By Gareth Jenkins

June 3, 2021

The series of videos being posted on YouTube by organized crime boss Sedat Peker has transfixed millions of Turks and fuelled speculation that the country could be facing a repeat of the Susurluk scandal of November 1996.