Turkish mafia boss says 'joint' plan behind death threats against opposition, critics

Duvar English

Turkish mafia leader Sedat Peker has addressed SADAT, a paramilitary group formed by President Recep Erdoğan's former advisor, in a series of tweets, saying that his previous threats targeting the opposition and dissidents came following a “joint idea.”

Peker did not disclose who was behind this “joint” project.

The mafia leader said that his call onto citizens “to take up arms” before the local elections in 2019 was for the purposes of “creating a climate of fear.” He said that SADAT was previously informed that he would make this threat.

Peker further said SADAT, which is often dubbed Erdoğan's “parallel army,” had also previous knowledge that he would say during a rally in October 2015 that “blood will flow greatly” if Turkish security forces tires in their military operations in southeastern Turkey.

Peker noted that recordings of phone conversations would prove SADAT's involvement in these threats.

“My call [on people] to take up arms in order to create a climate of fear was a joint idea. You cannot say that you were unaware that I would make the remarks of 'blood will flow greatly.' The HTS [Historical Traffic Search] recordings of conversations which I held a few days prior will reveal this,” Peker wrote in his tweet on Oct. 14, addressing SADAT founder Adnan Tanrıverdi.

Peker's comments a day after Tanrıverdi said that he had no connection whatsoever to Peker and that he had not accepted a previous meeting demand of the mafia leader.

Peker contradicted Tanrıverdi's remarks, saying that they had previously established contact numerous times. Peker said that people “representing” him had met with Tanrıverdi, and phone and video recordings would prove this. “When the time comes, these will all be exposed,” Peker tweeted.

In October 2015, Peker held a “rally against terror” to show his support for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Black Sea province of Rize in the run-up to the Nov. 1 snap elections. At the rally, Peker said “blood will flow greatly” Turkish security forces tires in their military operations in southeastern Turkey.

In 2016, he used a similar term this time for signatories of a petition calling on the government to end security operations in the country’s southeast. “We will spill your blood in streams and we will shower in your blood,” Peker said in January 2016, referring to the academics who had signed the petition.

In 2019, Peker called on his supporters to “take up arms” in anticipation of Turkey’s local elections slated for March 31.

Peker made his speech as the ruling AKP was facing fierce contestation from various opposition parties.

He called on citizens to rally behind the AKP's alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), claiming that opponents were going to try to delegitimize the election results.

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