Turkish ruling party official resigns over methamphetamine video

Duvar English 

A ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) official in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat has resigned over a video showing him sleeping next to methamphetamine and drug-related objects, HalkTV reported on Dec. 11. 

Kürşat Kılıç, one of the AKP's district chairs in Yozgat, previously announced his resignation on Facebook citing his busy schedule. 

"My loyalty to our party and our leader [President] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will continue," Kılıç said.

A source, however, sent HalkTV a video showing Kılıç sleeping apparently after using drugs and said that the official resigned to cover up the video. 

The person who records the video is seen opening a drawer that has drugs in it. A meth pipe and a precision balance can also be seen next to Kılıç. 

Social media users were quick to notice the precision balance and said that it may indicate that Kılıç was actually a drug dealer. 

Kılıç refused to comment on the issue and threatened to sue the journalist for reporting the video. 

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Ali Mahir Başarır shared Kılıç's video and slammed Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu for his failure in fighting drugs. 

The incident was reminiscent of an earlier one, when an AKP employee was caught snorting cocaine in a video. Kürşat Ayvatoğlu defended himself at the time by saying that the white substance seen in the video was powdered sugar and not cocaine. 

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