A report by Türkiye's Department of Anti-Smuggling and Anti-Organized Crime (KOM) found that gang leaders are cultivating close ties with figures in the arts, entertainment, and sports sectors, exploiting the access and privileges those circles provide.
The report noted that crime bosses treat prison time as a professional milestone, often using incarceration to build contacts with criminals from other networks. Upon release, many feel emboldened rather than deterred.
Gang leaders also court media attention to publicize their associations with prominent individuals and organizations, in what KOM described as an effort to give their activities a veneer of legitimacy. Some make large donations to schools and charitable foundations to launder illicit funds, while others set up shell companies to obtain visas from foreign embassies.
Among criminals arrested in 2005, 66 percent had completed only elementary school. High school graduates accounted for 22 percent, and those with a university degree made up just 4 percent.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.