Even though the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has a population of merely 326,000, it boasts 21 universities which are largely only recognised by itself and by its big brother, Turkey.
The universities try to attract foreign students with degree programs, which often only serve as a pretext to get people much closer to the external borders of the EU.
Turkey’s online community has been rocked by a scandal surrounding Twitch after it was revealed that Amazon’s live streaming service is used to launder money worth millions of dollars. The scheme was noticed by Twitch streamers after a massive data leak on Oct. 6, which showed thousands of streamers’ payouts. Upon a close inspection, Turkish …
Sıtkı Ayan, the businessman helping Tehran sell oil, has so far dodged US sanctions. On March 22 of 2021, several of the world’s most dangerous men descended on Beirut’s historic seaside Summerland Hotel — not to swim in the Mediterranean or explore the sumptuous resort’s “Le Beach Pop Up,” but to talk Turkey. The meeting …
The Turkish connection: How Erdoğan’s confidant helped Iran finance terror – POLITICO Read More »
In his 2013 speech in Tusványos, PM Viktor Orbán mentioned Turkey as an example of an illiberal democracy. Since then, Hungary has not only moved closer to Ankara in ideological terms, but trade between the two countries has also increased significantly. More recently, the Turks have also been involved in the development of the Hungarian …
Ahmet Yilmaz* shouldn’t be in a dangerous profession. He’s not a cop or a criminal. Ahmet is a banana importer in Turkey. “This is my third decade in the industry,” he proudly told InSight Crime. “[My company] made the first transit sales from Turkey to countries [like] Iraq and Iran. Until 2010, we were the …
Turkish Bananas: The Cocaine Road to Russia and the Persian Gulf – Insight Crime Read More »
“Since the 1960s, Turkish traffickers have dominated the global heroin trade, establishing both deep corruption webs at home and a criminal tapestry of port contacts, logistics networks and distribution gangs across Europe,” the report said. “By the 1980s, this had consolidated into the so-called “Balkan Route”: a modern multi-branched Silk Road that transported opiates from Afghanistan and Iran, through the Turkish land mass and into Europe via the Balkans.
A second factor is their connections. After the Balkan route coalesced in the 80s, Turkish organized criminals came into contact with their Latin American equivalents, building a flourishing barter economy of heroin for cocaine.
Turkey has become a global trafficking hub for South American cocaine, fuelling rising demand for the drug in Eastern Europe and the Persian Gulf, according to organised crime experts. A two-part analysis by InSight Crime, an investigative organisation, published today and last week reveals that gangs in Turkey, a country notorious for its major role …
Turkey Is Now A Major Hub for Cocaine Trafficking – Vice.com Read More »