Turkish deputy buys heroin, sneaks it into Parliament to 'make a point'
ANKARA - Hürriyet
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A deputy from the main opposition brought heroin and cocaine to the Turkish Parliament to "draw attention to easy access to drugs" today.The Republican People's Party’s (CHP) Yıldıray Sapan said he bought the drug from a street dealer in his electoral province of Antalya.
Sapan said he went to the Zeytinköy neighborhood of Antalya in disguise to witness the drug trade and recorded the entire exchange with a hidden camera. "Even police could not enter the neighborhood," Sapan said, adding that the starting age of drug use had dropped to as low as 8 in Antalya.
"Drug dealers approached me after I entered the neighborhood and offered me drugs. They asked if I wanted 'cheese' or 'stone.' I later understood cheese meant heroin and stone meant cocaine," Sapan said.
Dealers had no fear of being caught and easily told Sapan where to go to find heroin or cocaine, according to the deputy, who used a computer to show journalists the video recordings he took showing the transaction.
Sapan said he bought a single dose of cocaine for 50 Turkish Liras and a single dose of heroin for 20 liras. He said he paid an additional 50 liras to the drug dealers as commission.
The deputy said children had easy access to illegal drugs.
When reminded that Parliament could press legal action against him for bringing illegal drugs onto Parliament property, Sapan said he was aware of the potential penalties but added that he wanted to "draw attention to this societal wound.”
Sapan handed the drugs over to police officers in Parliament after the meeting.
