Interior Minister Soylu brags about mistreatment of drug dealers under arrest

Duvar English

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Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has bragged about mistreatment of drug dealers under arrest, as he said that drug dealers and the mafia should not be treated leniently.

The minister also commented on a report by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which, according to Soylu, said that there is no torture in Turkey, but mistreatment exists.

"It said that mistreatment exists towards drug dealers and this stems from me," Soylu said in an event against drug use on Oct. 7.

"I said this the other day as well. Don't be tolerant towards drug dealers and the mafia. If there is a price to pay, I'm ready to do so. These two groups feed each other. Do what's necessary and put the blame on me," he said.

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According to Soylu, none of the criticism towards his remarks is "more than the pain of a mother" whose child is suffering from drug addiction.

This is not the first time Soylu admitted mistreatment towards drug dealers. In 2018, he called on the police to break the legs of drug dealers if they see them around schools.

"You can put the blame on me," he also said at the time.

During his speech on Oct. 7, Soylu said that record amount of drugs were seized in 2019, of which the market value was 30 billion Turkish Liras.