Turkey's public expenditure on drug enforcement surged 62.5% to 6.9 billion Turkish lira in 2023, yet synthetic drug use and pharmaceutical substance trafficking reached alarming levels, according to the Turkey Drug Report. The data reveals a troubling paradox: while authorities increased spending and conducted more operations, drug-related incidents and suspect numbers continued their sharp upward trajectory.
According to the Turkey Drug Report cited by Kısa Dalga, drug-related incidents have skyrocketed over the past 16 years. From 13,692 total incidents in 2007, the figure exploded to 251,851 in 2023—a staggering 1,739% increase. When compared to 2013 alone, the 154% jump demonstrates the accelerating nature of Turkey's drug crisis. Approximately 82.6% of these incidents involved "purchasing, accepting, or possessing drugs for personal use," with suspect numbers reaching 313,786 in 2022 before declining marginally to 313,473 in 2023.
The most concerning development involves synthetic pharmaceuticals. Seizures of synthetic drugs and pharmaceutical substances jumped 129% in 2023, reaching 23.9 million tablets—the highest increase rate among all drug categories. Incidents related to these substances rose 22.5% to 32,437 cases, while suspect numbers climbed 33.2% to 46,761 individuals.
Shifting Trafficking Patterns
While heroin seizures declined across all three measurement categories in 2023—likely reflecting Afghanistan's Taliban-imposed opium cultivation ban from April 2022—other drug types showed significant increases. Cannabis seizures reached 99,294 kilograms with 87,268 incidents and 113,390 suspects. Cocaine incidents rose to 4,650, with 7,026 suspects and 2,502 kilograms seized. Synthetic cannabinoids saw a 152% surge in incidents to 28,313 cases.
Captagon seizures decreased by 42.5% in volume, though incidents and suspect numbers increased. The International Narcotics Control Board's 2023 report suggests this decline may indicate shifting trafficking routes toward the European Union, where seizures have increased correspondingly. Germany dismantled Europe's largest fake captagon laboratory in July 2023, supporting theories about route diversification.
Systemic Failures and Oversight Gaps
Saim Korkmaz, Chairman of the Muğla Pharmacists Association, attributed the pharmaceutical substance surge to inadequate oversight of online health product sales outside licensed pharmacies. "This situation negatively affects public health and safety very seriously," Korkmaz stated, calling for collaborative efforts between public institutions and civil society organizations to raise awareness about purchasing health products exclusively from pharmacies.
Justice statistics reveal that drug-related criminal cases in Turkish courts increased 25% in 2022. By 2023, cases specifically involving drug trafficking under Article 188 of the Turkish Penal Code rose another 2%. The number of inmates incarcerated for drug-related offenses peaked at 114,924 in 2022 before declining 14.4% to 98,355 in 2023. Of the 678,429 total crimes committed by convicted inmates entering prisons in 2023, drug possession for personal use accounted for 10.1% (68,243 cases), while drug manufacturing and trafficking represented 2.8% (18,839 cases).
Turkey as Regional Hub
Prof. Dr. Halis Dokgöz, a forensic medicine expert, emphasized that Turkey sits at the center of four major drug trafficking routes into Europe. The European Drug Trends Monitor identified Istanbul among 11 cities where heroin remains widely accessible at stable retail prices, with Istanbul and Bucharest recording the lowest prices—likely due to their proximity to traditional trafficking corridors.
"Turkey needs to acknowledge this as a problem and develop solutions," Dokgöz explained. "While our penalties for drug use and trafficking are not lenient, the real issues are oversight deficiencies and public information gaps. We need to rehabilitate addicts, disrupt trafficking networks, and educate society—especially in schools—about the dangers, while being careful not to inadvertently glamorize drug use."
Journalist Cengiz Erdinç pointed to deeper institutional failures, arguing that Turkey's legal framework makes connecting crimes to criminal proceeds nearly impossible. "Laws regarding asset forfeiture exist for smuggling-related vehicles, but not for criminal proceeds," he noted. "Without strong political will, prosecutors and law enforcement remain reluctant to pursue major cases, even as massive pools of illicit money accumulate from drugs, extortion, illegal gambling, and other organized crime activities."
Photo: Gemini AI