German Report Alleges Turkey's 'Narco-Authoritarian Turn' Fuels European Organized Crime

German Institute for Global and Area Studies Publishes Critical Report

A new report from the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), authored by political scientist Hakkı Taş and published in October 2025, has issued a stark warning regarding Turkey's evolving political landscape. The study describes what it terms Turkey's 'narco-authoritarian turn,' a phenomenon where criminal networks, political repression, and corruption are increasingly intertwined and mutually reinforcing.

The report suggests that Turkey, once considered a democratic model, has become a significant center for organized crime and international drug trafficking as its political system has grown more authoritarian.

Blurring Lines Between State and Underworld

According to Taş, the ruling alliance between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has effectively erased the distinction between state institutions and the criminal underworld. The GIGA findings indicate that Turkey is no longer merely a transit point for narcotics but has become an active facilitator in the flow of South American cocaine to Europe.

Evidence cited includes a sevenfold increase in cocaine seizures in Turkey since 2014, with quantities escalating from small amounts to several tons annually. The report further claims that Turkish criminal groups are directly collaborating with cartels in Mexico and Colombia, and that domestic laboratories are now processing chemicals for the production of heroin and methamphetamine.

Impact on European Security and Judicial Erosion

The GIGA report highlights that the expansion of Turkish criminal networks is having a tangible impact across Europe. Europol has identified Turkish citizens as key players in cocaine, cannabis, and money-laundering operations in countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. The study notes that violence stemming from turf wars in Istanbul has been observed in European cities like Berlin and Barcelona.

This transformation is attributed to the weakening of political checks and balances under Erdogan's leadership, particularly following the 2016 coup attempt and the shift to a presidential system in 2018, which centralized authority. The report also points to tax amnesties enacted between 2016 and 2023, alongside a citizenship-by-investment program, as factors that have opened Turkey's financial system to unregulated capital, turning the country into a safe haven for international fugitives and crime bosses. The report concludes that law enforcement in Turkey is selective, politicized, and marked by favoritism.