The Position and the importance of narcotic crimes in organed crimes in Turkey

There is not a common agreed definition on the organized crime.Dealing with this kind of crime without a versatile view will misguide the lawenforcement organizations. It can only be possible to make an exactdefinition to the organized crime or mafia if it is handled not only by means oflaw but with a sociological aspect.It can be realized that the roots of the mafia in Turkey goes back to theOttoman Empire, especially to the Celali insurgences. In this context thekulhanbey and the kabadayis can be regarded as the forerunners oforganized crime lords.In the roots of the organized crime structures in the Republic era laysthe emergence of the new power elements in order to fill the State?s authoritygaps. It can also be realized that the organized crime in Turkey hasexperienced a change in 1960s and become more professional. By theseyears illicit drug trafficking (especially heroin trafficking) become one of themost important fields of the Turkish mafia.The illicit drug trafficking is structurally an organized crime. Theencouraging reasons of the illicit drug trafficking can be summarized as theprevalence of the drug addiction, the costs of the drugs, the terrorist actionsand the political changes.Having taken into account that the separatist and the leftist terroristorganizations use the illicit drug trafficking in financing their terrorist activities,Turkey, has considered drug trafficking as a crime against humanity andstruggle with this kind of crime with all State institutions.Turkey has played a bridge role between cultures and the economiesas well as in illicit drug trafficking. So there is a two-way flow in Turkey.Where hashish, ecstasy and cocaine trafficking is common in domesticmarket, Turkey is a transit country between east and west in opium andderivatives, captagon and acetic anhydrite trafficking.The fight against illicit drug trafficking as an organized crime type mustbe sustained in a professional manner with an international cooperationcontext. Turkey has taken some important steps to realize this co-operationaland professional community. For example, the staffs of the law enforcementagency of Turkey, even the staff of the neighboring countries? lawenforcement agencies are being trained in TADOC by using the latesttechnological opportunities.The desirable way of fighting against drug trafficking is to fight againstit with a fully equipped law enforcement agencies in a cooperation communityof all State institutions. However, the achievement can not be accomplishedwith sole security measures. Besides these efforts, the public must be takeninto the arena of the struggle by informing and making it conscious of thethreat and by strengthening the positive values of the public. In this context,avoiding the moral and communal corruption has a very important affect.It must be noted that 35% of the smuggling, financial and organizedcrimes committed between 2000 and 2005 consists of narcotic crimes inTurkey. And the drug trafficking leads to money laundering.Within the context of the MASAK activities, it is observed that %41 ofthe money laundring crime files which were sent to the Public ProsecutorsOffices consists of drug trafficking.