Istanbul, Feb 23, (dpa/GNA) – Turkey has asked the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to arrest and return accused fugitive Turkish crime boss, Sedat Peker, state news agency Anadolu reported on Wednesday.
Last May, Turkish prosecutors ordered the arrest of Peker, after he posted several videos in which he accused members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, including the interior minister, as well as some former politicians, of a variety of crimes.
The claims for which Peker has yet to provide evidence included, corruption, drug smuggling and unsolved murders among others.
The government denies charges. Erdogan described Peker’s videos, watched by millions in Turkey, as an attack on the country.
Forty-eight per cent of respondents in a poll found Peker’s claims credible, local pollster Metropoll reported in May.
Meanwhile, Interpol issued a red notice for Peker on February 1, Anadolu reported. Interpol was not immediately available to comment.
Peker, whom authorities believe is in Dubai, has been under investigation for leading a criminal organization since 2019 and already has a criminal record for founding one, according to local media.
Peker previously supported Erdogan for re-election.
In a thaw, Erdogan visited the UAE last week, after years of regional rivalry between the two predominantly Muslim nations.
It was not immediately clear if Peker’s return was discussed.
The UAE has so far ignored calls to send Peker back to Turkey, but told him not to release any more YouTube videos, Peker told local broadcaster Halk TV in September.
Erdogan blocked a large corruption probe implicating him back in 2013, sacking several prosecutors and police officers, some of them later to be jailed.
GNA