Turkish mafia boss says reports circulating on existence of a 'death list' including his name

Turkish mafia leader Sedat Peker has said that there were reports suggesting the existence of a “death list” including his name as well as the names of some dissident journalists. Peker also commented on private security company SADAT, saying that it was creating a “climate of fear” and that its personnel had received training by Russia's Alpha Group Commando Team.

Duvar English

Turkish mafia leader Sedat Peker has said that there were rumors of a “death list” including his name as well as the names of some journalists who reported on him.

“A death list which includes my name as well is being talked about. They have included some opponent journalists in this list for reporting on my statements. Why would men who have guns in their hands want to kill those who have pens in their hands? On top of that, it is me who has released the statements, not journalists,” Peker said in a series of tweets on Oct. 12. 

In September, journalist Erk Acarer, who is currently living in Germany, posted some of the revelations of Peker on his own Twitter account as the mafia leader said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) officials had not allowed him to share the posts himself. Following this move, daily Birgün cut its ties with the journalist, not finding his action in line with the ethics of journalism.

Peker's comments came amid previous reports of an “execution list” including the names of several people living abroad who are critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In July, Germany said that it will deepen its investigation into the alleged existence of this list. Although it is not known whether Acarer is on this list or not, he was attacked by an armed group in his Berlin residence in July.

In his tweets, Peker also made remarks about SADAT, a shady paramilitary group formed by Erdoğan's former advisor, referring to its members as “evil” although having an appearance of being religious. He said that the group was creating a “climate of fear.”

“SADAT members who have an image of being religious, but in fact are evil, we also know about you. We will meet,” Peker wrote in his tweet.

Afterwards, Peker posted new tweets just about SADAT this time, claiming that some personnel of the SADAT had been trained by Alpha Group, a stand-alone sub-unit of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). Alpha Group survived the collapse of the Soviet Union and currently operates under the auspices of the FSB, the successor to the KGB.

“Those evil people who want to convince us that SADAT is a security company, which security company would make an agreement with people in Russia's Alpha teams, one of the best in the world, and give its gifted personnel special training through informal means?” Peker wrote in his tweet. 

Peker, who fled Turkey in early 2020, has so far released nine videos on YouTube that are filled with bombshell allegations against Turkish government officials. 

In June, the mafia boss said that UAE officials warned him not to share videos due to high-security risks. Afterwards, Peker has continued to make his sensational claims via Twitter instead.