Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has launched an unprecedented campaign against organised crime five months into his tenure, with large-scale police operations focused on taking down both local and foreign members of criminal gangs.
Thirty-eight “mafia-type” gangs have been dismantled over the course of four months in about 400 separate operations across the country, said Mr Yerlikaya, who served as Istanbul’s governor prior to assuming office.
About 2,900 suspected gang members have been arrested, he confirmed.
“As the Ministry of Internal Affairs, one of our primary goals is to cleanse the country of organised crime,” he added.
Mr Yerlikaya recently announced the arrest of Hakan Ayik, who is wanted in both Australia and the US on charges including international drug trafficking, murder and money laundering. He went on the run more than a decade ago and surfaced in Istanbul, where he ran the Kings Cross hotel for several years.
The arrest was the latest indication of a rise in crime in Turkey in recent years, with headlines often including news of shoot-outs between foreign criminal gangs.
Jovan Vukotic, the alleged head of a crime syndicate from Montenegro, was killed in his car in central Istanbul in September last year by two gunmen.
In January, Georgian crime boss Revaz Lordkipanidze was also shot dead in his car on the outskirts of the Black Sea city of Trabzon. Later, two alleged Russian hitmen were arrested over the killing.
Mafia swamp
Former police chief Mustafa Bogurcu said Turkey had become a “mafia swamp” and that the recent arrests under Mr Yerlikaya were “proof that drug traffickers, international arms and human traffickers move freely in Turkey and are involved in money laundering activities”.
The new Interior Minister has been focusing on taking down dozens of local mobsters involved in crimes ranging from drugs and arms trafficking to fraud and illegal gambling.
On Thursday, 15 members of the gang Germiciler, allegedly led by brothers Hakan and Erdem Germici, were arrested in the Bodrum area on Turkey’s west coast on charges of arms dealing and the fraudulent sale of land and cars.
One of the most high-profile arrests in recent months was that of alleged Ankara crime boss Ayhan Bora Kaplan in early September. Mr Kaplan, who was among 37 alleged gang members detained, is accused of leading a crime group involved in offences such as dealing drugs and weapons, robbery, assault and supplying counterfeit money.
His arrest has brought accusations of possible collusion between criminals and law enforcement, given he had been under investigation for several years but never arrested.
Mr Yerlikaya on October 12 announced that nine police officers involved in the case, including four senior commanders, had been suspended from duty.
Veteran journalist Cengiz Erdinc described Mr Kaplan’s arrest as " a message to the mafia, which was actively visible during the period of Suleyman Soylu’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, that everything will not be the same”, referring to Mr Yerlikaya’s predecessor.
The 2023 Global Organised Crime Index, released in September, noted “strong and complex links, dating back many decades” between high-level criminals and “state-embedded individuals” in Turkey.
Among regime elites, you encounter significant rivalries and these factions end up creating their own networks competing against one another
Berk Esen,
professor of political science at Istanbul’s Sabanci University
It added that “mafia-style groups … have developed close connections with the government and other politicians, making them immune to law enforcement or the judicial system”/
Berk Esen, professor of political science at Istanbul’s Sabanci University, claims that previous interior ministers had been able to assume “a lot of autonomy” within the government by appointing police chiefs close to them.
“Within authoritarian regimes this is usually what happens,” he said. “Among regime elites, you encounter significant rivalries and these factions end up creating their own networks competing against one another.”
The Interior Ministry declined to respond to The National’s questions about the recent clampdown.
But there is a more tangible explanation for the drive against organised crime: Turkey’s efforts to get its beleaguered economy back on track.
Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek earlier this month told parliament that Turkey was working to be removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s “Grey List” of countries that need to tighten their approach to money laundering and terrorism financing.
Turkey was placed on the list in October 2021 and critics say the country has become a laundering centre for criminal assets – making it unappealing to much-needed legitimate foreign investment.
Mr Simsek said he hoped Turkey would soon be removed from the list after fresh legislation is proposed to parliament.
“We are doing whatever is necessary … If there are no other political considerations, there will be no reason for our country to remain on the Grey List within this framework,” he told MPs.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Company%20Profile
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dunki
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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