Turkish Prime Minister Recept Erdogan often accuses Turks of being engaged in drug traffic, but the real situation is an opposite one.

Turks control 90% of drug traffic in Europe, the specialist in Turkic studies Levon Hovsepyan told NEWS.am. Referring to the U.N. data, he pointed out that a total of 110 tons of heroin and other drugs were sold in Europe last year, and 85% of that amount was transited through Turkey. “Turks are engaged in drug traffic in Europe, and this business is almost fully controlled by Turkish immigrants,” the expert said. Hovsepyan pointed out that Erdogan’s accusations are merely a justification for the Turkish army’s punitive measures against Kurds.

Hovsepyan said that Turkey had been a drug producer country until mid-20th, but it is now a central link for drug traffic in Asia and Europe.

Turkish drug dealers are most influential in the country. “European journalists conducted investigations. The results showed that Turks, as well as Turkish nationalist forces, particularly Grey Wolves (Turkish: Bozkurtlar), almost fully control drug traffic,” Hovsepyan said. He pointed out that Grey Wolves is closely connected with most influential Turkish political figures.

Turkish police recently detained an 11-member criminal group that was transporting 50kg of drugs to Istanbul. Among the group members was the Turkish Premier’s nephew Mehmet Erdoğan.

T.P.