Erdogan seeks to ban Turkish mafia boss

A Turkish court has ordered an access ban on mob boss Sedat Peker’s social media accounts citing national security and public order concerns.

According to experts, the social media platforms cited in the ban, including YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter use the secure https protocol, and thus cannot be blocked by Internet service providers in Turkey.

Most large social media companies recently opened offices in Turkey to comply with new laws giving the government sweeping regulatory powers.

Online platforms with more than one million daily users are compelled to appoint a local legal representative responsible for processing content removal requests and addressing authorities’ concerns. A failure to comply risks fines of up to 10 million liras ($1.15 million) and bans on advertising.

In several videos posted online since early May, Peker has implicated top Turkish officials and their family members in crimes ranging from money laundering and racketeering to rape and murder.

Exposed by Peker, Turkish Businessman Sezgin Baran Korkmaz who has been arrested in Austria is accused of taking part in a massive money-laundering scheme in the United States.

According to Turkish the mafia boss, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu regularly made use of Korkmaz’s $54 million Bombadier jet, treating it “like a taxi”.

Soylu’s relationship with Korkmaz has come under scrutiny after convicted crime boss Sedat Peker accused him of tipping off Korkmaz about police efforts to arrest him in December.

Peker's claims against current and former politicians, with the main ones being former minister Mehmet Ağar and Soylu, have been shaking Turkey, but the government's response to the accusations has been weak so far.