Click to see full-size image
On November 24th, a former Major from an elite force part of the Special Forces Command (ÖKK) in the Turkish military – Nuri Gökhan Bozkır, gave an interview to the outlet Strana.
According to Bozkır, he was fired from the army on suspicion of disloyalty, as a result of another “purge” of the Turkish armed forces by the supporters of future Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who came to power.
Nuri Gökhan Bozkır. Click to see full-size image
After being discharged from the army in 2007 with the rank of captain, he went into business. And in this he was helped by the extensive contacts abroad, which the officer acquired during his service in the elite units of the Turkish armed forces.
In the interview he spoke of the booming business he began – smuggling weapons and other equipment to various countries in which there were armed conflicts – notably Syria.
Additionally, he carried out missions in Georgia, Iran, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Azerbaijan.
Syrian Turkmen tribes were the main recipients of goods from the former military officer’s company in 2012, when the civil conflicts in Syria escalated into open war, with outside participation as well.
Around that time, Bozkır reportedly received an offer from Khalil Harmid, the field commander of the Turkmen militia, to provide them arms instead of humanitarian supplies.
Khalil Karmid gave a guarantee that the Turkish authorities would treat such a business favorably. And he introduced Bozkır to Turkish intelligence officers, under whose control the arms deliveries were to be carried out.
The Syrian was primarily interested in small arms, ammunition for them, hand-held missile systems, explosives and also spare parts for weapons.
According to Bozkır, initially, people from the Turkish intelligence service MIT reacted negatively to his candidacy as a supplier of weapons for Syrian Turkomans, bearing in mind the reasons for his dismissal from the army.
“But the Syrian field commander Khalil Kharmid defended my candidacy, saying that he was already convinced of my reliability and honesty. His words outweighed all MIT doubts about my unreliability and disloyalty to the Turkish authorities, because I was once dismissed from the army on suspicion of this. Thus, I turned out to be the one who for several years transported weapons to Syria for the Turkoman military detachments that fought against Assad,” Bozkır said.
The financing of the supply of weapons, in Bozkır’s words, was carried out in a rather original way – seven containers arrived in the Turkish city bordering on Syria, filled with cash.
“If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that this was possible. Seven containers with cash dollars arrived from Qatar. They were unloaded in front of me in secrecy – it was all controlled by the MIT intelligence. The containers were transported to the military base. gendarmerie under close protection. I received money without hindrance on a personal request, as much as was needed for the purchase of the next batch of weapons. I established a company for a dummy. With the support of MIT I was issued a document of the official final buyer of weapons – in this capacity, the document listed armed forces of Turkey. That is, I officially bought weapons, as it were for the Turkish army. After purchasing and receiving weapons, I transported them to my warehouse, and after that I sent them across the border to the Syrian-Turkoman troops. The Syrian side was completely controlled by the field commander Khalil Kharmid – he answered for the acceptance of goods,” the retired soldier said.
As per his story, he purchased weapons throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia from 2012 to 2015. That is, the suppliers were mainly the countries of the former Warsaw Pact and the CIS.
The average batch of weapons, depending on the type of “product”, cost from two to four million dollars. Bozkır also paid arms dealers in cash – a retired officer and his assistants carried the cash abroad with large suitcases and bags. The security and unhindered transportation of cash across the border was also guaranteed by the Turkish intelligence service MIT.
Between 2012 and 2015 Bozkır supplied 49 full transports with weapons to Turkmen. In Turkey, transports with weapons, which were taken out of his warehouse to the Turkish-Syrian border, were disguised just in case – food and vegetables were loaded on top of the boxes.
But this was just an additional precaution for those who were not in the subject – the Turkish police and border guards. The transfer of weapons through the Turkish-Syrian cordon was controlled by the MIT intelligence.
When delivering goods to his Syrian partners, Bozkır drew attention to the fact that the final cost of the transports with weapons and ammunition he transported was artificially inflated.
“During the purchase and transportation of weapons, the cost of each batch increased by an average of two to three million dollars. Cash was taken from the base, allegedly to pay for the goods. But this money did not reach me. I was given amounts that went to those who sold weapons The difference between the real cost of the goods and the final one was taken by people from MIT. They paid me quite modestly – for each batch of goods I received ten thousand dollars. The fiftieth batch of weapons I decided to ship on my own, at my own peril and risk. the fame of its curators from the Turkish intelligence service,” he explained.
The photograph below shows the last delivery he did as a businessman.
Click to see full-size image
The shipment was disguised, but it was stopped by Turkish patrol police. As soon as his handlers found out, they suggested he left Turkey.
“I don’t know what happened next with this shipment of weapons. People from MIT harshly offered me to leave until the police arrested me. Two hours before my name appeared in the database of those wanted by the police, they bought me a ticket to Ukraine, where I already had wife and child, and escorted to the airport. At parting they said, they say, I need to sit out abroad while they resolve all issues on the detained goods,” he said.
He then emigrated to Ukraine and the former special forces soldier continued his business – his company won a tender for the supply of Ukrainian KRAZs to Bangladesh. But he could no longer return to Turkey – the former curators from MIT made it clear.
However, in 2018, influential businessmen close to the family of Turkish President Recep Erdogan approached him with a business proposal.
“Recep Sanjak, a relative of the head of the Turkish concern BMC, which produces buses, armored personnel carriers and tanks, turned to me.
This is the head of the BMC subsidiary.
He suggested that I start supplying weapons from Ukraine to Turkey and further to third world countries that are under sanctions UN. In return, he offered me to “resolve” all issues in Turkey, and the possibility of returning.
I then filed a lawsuit in the Turkish court for rehabilitation and the return of military rank. To check Recep’s readiness to really help me.
But no help came. And I refused. The investigation of my refusal was not long in coming – the Turkish authorities opened a criminal case against me, attributing to me the murder of the writer Necip Hablemitolu, which happened in 2002.
By the way, another person who is now in a Turkish prison in another case admitted to this murder long ago It was also hinted to me that I am now a dangerous and unwanted witness to illegal arms deals by the Turkish intelligence services.
Therefore, the Turkish authorities put me on the Interpol list. But the fate of such dangerous witnesses in Turkey is unenviable – for example, one of my acquaintances, also a former officer, died suddenly in a Turkish prison from a “heart attack,” he said.
On July 10th, 2019, Bozkır was detained in Kiev at the request of Turkey.
But the Ukrainian courts found no grounds for his extradition – the former military man has a residence permit in Ukraine, he has an official and legal business here.
He fears that he may be kidnapped. He thinks the same threatens other Turkish citizens who opposed Erdogan and were then taken out of Ukraine by Turkish special services with the assistance of the SBU.
Therefore, for the purpose of additional protection, he applied for political asylum. But the Ukrainian authorities have not yet taken a decision on this issue.
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A Gulenist who is known for assasinating anti-CIA secular Turks in Turkiye. Congrats Southfront, you’ve done a great job by carrying this traitor’s ‘valuable’ thoughts here.
If that was the only thing AKP did, it might be fine. But normal people with no memorylack do have a very long list, which says all opposition to the AKPs should be destroyed.
Turks are major rulers and no democrasy. When fx the moderateKurds gets 7 million votes, there is hard maipuation and reelection. When Kurds then still gets 5 milloion votes, their PM are hailed and their many small town majors are replaced by public employed, which hardly speak Turkish.
And when Ilderim is not elected in Istanbul, there is a re-election too.
Im sure the 50% AKP has on country level has smaller cheatings in it and they are less then 50.
I dont see Gülens as traitors as well as the opposite. They are allowed to be represented as anybody else. We keeep strange and partly opposition in the open, so the can present their programs and we can vote NO THANK YOU. By that they cant blame us for and make votes, so they can say some eep state work jard against them.
Thats how democrasy and real parlamnetarusme works and not in simplified and stupid sometimes rigged elections.
I hope all of those observation posts will be evacuated. Erdogan’s Idlib policy was a disaster from the beginning. We should focus on our common enemy: YPG/PKK/PJAK. Whatever they call themselves. Turkiye and Iran have reached an agreement to launch joint military operations in Iraq earlier. Syria will be cleaned too by cooperation with Russia. Erdogan is learning from his mistakes. Slowly but steadily.
I think we’re an Eastern bloc country. EU has played with us for decades by promising to accept us among them. That was a blatant lie and most of the Turkish people are aware of this fact. EU is a christian union and western people have generally disliked Turks throughout history. Our NATO membership is another disaster for me. The US used NATO as a tool to consolidate its power by military bases, agents in media, etc. They downed patriotic politicians by coups a lot of times. We’re facing problems with US/EU since we started extensive operations against PKK and Gulenists in 2015. Then a coup attempt followed in 2016. Erdogan learned his enemy very well. Now number of American soldiers are decreasing in Turkiye. They’re making plans to abondon Incirlik Airbase and carry it to Crete, Greece.You know their attitude against us on East Med issue too. And the latest attack on our cargo ship. Most probably extensive embargoes are on the way which might be a good thing to sharpen our position. Turkiye is moving away from NATO and the war has already started if you ask me. S-400s, Turkish Stream, Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, etc. are clear indications of Turkiye’s future alliances. China’s new Silk Road is passing through Turkiye and Azerbaijan. It will improve our relations with China. We were granted dialogue partner status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Maybe we will join in the future. Who knows?
Crap again. Turkey today has more then 50% of their foreign trade with EU and the citicens has free entrence to EU, which most others has not.
Thats highly affiliated.
That changed by Erdogan and his AKP. And Yes we do have demands for new members. Maybee Turks would accept some of their players in football suddenly put up a basket net and for some time now and then ply bakesball.
Erdogas has followed what we have decided among each other very bad an d in a lot of vital things Turks not even know, whats going on in their own countries.
That goes for Erdo visiting other countries. When he comes home the important things are not there at all and something else is there too added some internal propaganda of the worst kind.
And Yes, I can see Turkish TV sometimes just videoclips. You are taking around as sheep.
Leaving Incirlik is an option, but its not a Turkish thing. USA seemes to prefare microbases and by that dont need ancient faclities, where they not even can have some few nukes.
Im no Turk, but Turks should worry a lot for Erdo spreading out that much, making hostility and minus on the currencey level.
If women did that, they could make 3 children at the same time.
I think you have a very good idea of what is going on. As you said, actions speak louder than words. Minus all the (public) BS in the press, one looking at the situations as they arise and progress, my conclusion is the same.
Totally irrelevant crap of the worst kind.
The uprise not even started with Kurds in Syria.
Turkmen was armed hard long time before that and the Turkish media supported old maps as well as they had no idea about how few Turkmen there still was in Syria.
It was the same for their propaganda maps. The problems there are not Kurdish but Turks has beeen allmost 100 years in the same insisting stupidismes as they are now.
And dont come with Kurds are vrteathing like rabbits. Turks do it too. At the 1923 Turkey had less then 20mio inhabitants. Now the Turks themself are 60 million.
More like AKP & Co think like rabbits too in some barkingmad jumping jack – and ERDO FLASH. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1da554b34347df69173f6448a9a7240db288a5b8af950f69b9e34a8bbeb2ff4c.jpg
Thats how 60 million Turks see 600.000 rule THEIR parts of Syria. Even long time before and they then were 1,3 and has not emmigrated to Turkey and many has been assimilated, it was pure madness.
Turkey got much more land then they deserved, because Kurds were in small tribes and hardly none was educated. They should have treated those people nice, but thay have no idea about, what nice is.
You dont say… Whats next the Oscars are political too…? Oy vey…
NATO sell weapons to ISIS/Al-Qaeda/HTS/Daesh you name it. BTW
Qatar to invest billions of dollars in Turkey as economy struggles amid lira drop
Qatar has agreed to invest billions of dollars in Turkey, including purchase of shares in the country’s main stock market, as part of a number of economic initiatives agreed between the two countries at a time when Turkey’s economic crisis grinds on.
PressTV: https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/27/639472/Qatar-to-invest-billions-of-dollars-in-Turkey-as-economy-struggles-amid-lira-drop
Yes, but for each OP surrounded by SAA they evacuate, they establish 6-7 other inside Idlib north of M4. Now the number of Turkish military installations (OPs, bases and forts, not counting warehouses or inspection posts) exceeded 50. A week ago or so Erdogan publicly made a claim on Idlib, northern Syria and northern Iraq.They made Turkish Lira the currency in those parts and also changed the curriculum in schools.
It doesn’t seem they have any intention of leaving. His ultimate aim after Idlib seems to be to reclaim Aleppo and Mosul and all between.
” It won’t stay like this. Biden’s planning to go all in on Syria. Which will trigger a Russian response making them go all in too ”
Please elaborate on this prediction, especially the ” making them go all in ” part.
Then why hasnt Russia done this a long time ago and finished the job sparing thousands of lives in the process ? It would have been quicker and easier with fewer ZioAmerican troops there ?
Ali, I hope you are right but I wouldn’t bet on Russians going all in if that happens. If they wanted, Idlib was finished a long time ago. In addition, before any move on Syria, Americans try to make sure to create enough headache for both Iran and Russia to keep them busy. Russia will help but not all the way in. It seems they have no problem and happy with the territory which is under Syrian government control. Ofcourse they are following their own interests and I doubt their interest is to give the lives of their soldiers for the sake of Syria against US. Sometimes our interests overlap with their but not fully and totally.
One good indication is their possible reaction to settlement of Turkey’s mercenaries in Qarabaq. If Russia doesn’t want it, Aliyev wouldn’t dare to go that way. We shall see.
He is the corrupt turk yes,but is gulan worse?
He’s very lucky he’s not one of the 80,000 people Erdogan’s locked up since the coup, most of them are locked up on trumped up political charges, but from what I’ve just read it seems this guy does deserve to be locked up, unlike most of the other 80,000 who are now rotting in Turkish prisons.