Drug Baron Zindaşti, Sought Again After Release, Now on the Lam

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 21 October 2018)

zindaşti arrest click here for previous TNT reporting
on Zindaşti.


Zindaşti, circled right, and FETÖ-linked former 
prosecutor Öz, left.

Naci Şerif Zindaşti, Turkey's foremost foreign drug baron,
was arrested six months ago in Istanbul on charges of
"directing an organized crime gang and premeditated
murder."  Zindaşti was released from jail the night before
last. (!)

After Zindaşti's release, the Istanbul public prosecutor
objected to the release decision and a new order was
issued by the court for Zindaşti's  re-arrest.  However,
Zindaşti is nowhere to be found and is now a fugitive.

In 2010, Zindaşti had served as a secret witness with the
code name 'Terazi' (justice (!)) for then-prosecutor
Zekeriya Öz, who is himself a fugitive because of his
links to the Fethullah Gülen Terror Organization (FETÖ).
Zindaşti's testimony at that time caused the judges in the
'Balyoz' and Hrant Dink (Armenian journalist) cases to be
removed from duty.

There is also an investigation into whether or not
Zindaşti had discussions with jailed U.S. Consulate
liaison official Metin Topaz, who is also suspected of
FETÖ ties.  Based on Zindaşti's cellphone records,
his and Topal's cellphone signals emanated from the
same base station 35 times. 

In 2014, Zindaşti's daughter Arzu Şerifi Zindaşti
and his wife's nephew Devrim Öztunç were killed
when the car they were riding in was sprayed with
gunfire.  In the aftermath of this incident, murders
occurred in Turkey, Panama and Dubai, possibly
related to Zindaşti's daughter's killing.


Arzu Şerife Zindaşti and Devrim Öztunç funerals.