"Beat & Release": Physiotherapist's Visits to Crippled Drug Baron, on the Lam for 10 Years, Fingered Him, in Istanbul

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 13 April 2023)

Çetinkaya getting the "kargatulumba" treatment (carried

by arms and legs) en route to the courthouse. 

Drug baron Örfi Çetinkaya (74) was born in Malatya's Pütürge district in 

1949. He was on the "wanted" list during the 12 September 1980 military 

coup and on 18 May 1988 he was shot while trying to flee from police, 

paralyzed from the waist down by a bullet.  

Nevertheless, Çetinkaya continued his narcotics activities but he was

caught with 3 kilograms of morphine in Silivri, Istanbul, in 1989 and

incarcerated.  Six months later he was released from jail (!) but arrested

again two years later in connection with 46 kilograms of heroin found

in Spain - however, he was released after giving a statement (!). 

In 2000 Çetinkaya was arrested as part of "Operation Matador" and 

jailed until 2003.  But on 5 November that same year, he and others

were arrested in "Operation Last Tango" with 577 kilograms of ascetic

anhydrate, 159 kilograms of morphine base and 617 kilograms of heroin.

A year later Çetinkaya's partner Cemal Nayır was shot with a Kalashnikov

rifle and paralyzed like Çetinkaya - Nayır blamed Çetinkaya for the

attack. 

Çetinkaya has always wanted to be the center of attention.

For health reasons, Çetinkaya was released from prison in 2012 but the

next year a court ordered him to be imprisoned for 24 years.  By this

time, though, Çetinkaya had disappeared and it was assumed he had

fled abroad.  But he kept up his narcotics dealing -when 103 kilograms

of heroin were seized by police in Artvin on 5 May 2013 police linked

the deal to Çetinkaya.  Another seizure of 159 kilograms of heroin in

Rize that same year was tied to him, too.  

In recent years, Çetinkaya's name has been mentioned in the same 

breath as that of his partner, Iranian drug dealer Naci Zindaşti, and out 

of 5 tons of heroin seized in an operation, 2.2 tons were said to belong 

to Çetinkaya.  Fugitive prosecutor Zekeriya Öz was allegedly bribed

by both Zindaşti and Çetinkaya, who had lived on a large farm in 

Arnavutköy, Istanbul, until 2004.  There, he showered money and 

gifts on the local populace to win their loyalty and affection. 

Reminiscent of Osama bin Laden's villa capture caper.

Police got a tip a year ago that Çetinkaya, missing for 10 years, was

secretly living in a villa in either Zekeriyaköy or Uskumruköy villages

in Sarıyer, Istanbul.   Police focused in on a villa in Zekeriyeköy and

noticed that one person, in particular, came to the villa regularly so 

police checks were arranged and suspect A.Ö, a physiotherapist, was

identified.  

A subsequent police raid on the villa resulted in the arrest of Çetinkaya 

and five Afghans.  After processing at a police station, Çetinkaya was

brought to court in an armored police van where he gave his defense

for charges stemming from drug dealing in Artvin and for insulting 

former Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan.  Ultimately, Çetinkaya was

made to serve the 24-year sentence resulting from "Operation Last

Tango" and sent to Metris Prison in Istanbul.