Three senior police officers suspended over organized crime investigations

ANKARA

Three senior police officers have been suspended from their duties at the police department in the capital, Ankara, amid ongoing investigations into an organized crime syndicate.

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The suspended officers include Murat Çelik, the provincial deputy police chief in charge of fighting organized crime, Kerem Gökay Öner, the head of the department overseeing organized crime investigations, and Şevket Demircan, the department’s deputy head for organized crime.

The Interior Ministry announced the suspensions in a statement on May 9.

Local media reports have linked the criminal organization under investigation to Ayhan Bora Kaplan, described as its leader. Kaplan, who was previously known to law enforcement, was arrested at Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport last September while attempting to flee the country with a significant sum of money.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya had already confirmed the suspension of nine police officers, including four senior officials, in October last year over suspected links to the same criminal network.

The investigation into the group’s activities covers a wide range of allegations, including the creation of a criminal network, intentional bodily harm and false imprisonment.

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Authorities have expanded their investigations beyond Ankara and conducted police operations in provinces such as Ağrı, Kocaeli, Çorum and Konya provinces. During these operations, police officers confiscated a significant supply of unlicensed firearms and ammunition from the suspects’ homes.