AKP Chief in Elazığ Blames Rivals After Son’s Cocaine Video Leak

The provincial chairman of Turkey’s ruling AKP in Elazığ, Şerafettin Yıldırım, has claimed that a video showing his son allegedly using cocaine is being exploited by political rivals in a bid to unseat him.

The scandal erupted after footage surfaced of Mustafa Seccad Yıldırım, the chairman’s son, appearing to snort cocaine. Speaking to Turkish media, Yıldırım said the incident was part of a setup orchestrated by loan sharks and local power brokers. He insists his son was “trapped” and that the leak is now being used as a weapon in intra-party rivalries.

“You Want to Hit Me With My Son?”

Yıldırım lashed out at those circulating the video, framing it as a political attack:

“Do you want to strike me through my son? Then you will be struck through your own sons.”

He stressed that he has been AKP provincial chairman for six years without engaging in financial corruption, describing himself as “only loyal to the President” and accusing others of being driven by ambition for the chairmanship.

Claims of a Predatory Trap

The chairman argued that his son was ensnared by ruthless car traders posing as business partners. According to Yıldırım, they tricked his son with fraudulent deals — selling a car worth 500,000 lira for 1 million, then buying it back at half the price. He claimed they targeted his son precisely because of his political connections:

“They thought, ‘Let’s trap his son, he has political ties, he’ll pay.’ I told them I will never pay. They are the filth of Elazığ.”

Yıldırım alleged that one of his son’s former partners filmed the video a year ago during a gathering of four people and then kept it hidden until now.

“I Reported Them to the Police”

He said he had already informed authorities about the alleged loan sharks, describing how they were briefly detained and released:

“I saw the video. There are three others in it, including his partner who filmed it. I told the police about these loan sharks — they were rounded up, then released on signature.”

Yıldırım also emphasized that if his son committed wrongdoing, he expected justice to be applied, but he argued that the bigger story is how political opportunists are exploiting the video.

Intra-Party Power Struggle

The chairman openly accused rivals within the AKP of trying to topple him, claiming the scandal is being used to undermine his leadership:

“They are doing this for political gain. Municipal elections have passed, parliamentary elections have passed, and still there are people with ambition for this post. I have never been anyone’s man. Only the President’s. But jealousy and greed are trying to drag us down.”

He added that he had warned the party’s organizational leadership that internal fights risk weakening the local structure.

Fallout and Next Steps

The scandal has shaken AKP’s Elazığ branch, intertwining personal misconduct, alleged organized crime, and political rivalry. It remains unclear whether law enforcement will pursue investigations into the alleged loan sharks, or whether the video leak will have consequences for Yıldırım’s political career.

For now, Yıldırım is framing himself as both a victim of a personal smear campaign and a target of internal party ambition, vowing not to step down under pressure.