Crime boss Serkan Kurtuluş brought to Turkey from Argentina after years-long pursuit

Turkish crime boss Serkan Kurtuluş, sought for a multitude of crimes including "intentional murder" and "forming an organized crime group," has been brought back to Turkey from Argentina after a lengthy international process. The operation was coordinated by Turkey's INTERPOL-Europol Department.

Kurtuluş's extradition faced significant hurdles as he attempted to evade justice for years. After an international Red Notice was issued in October 2017, he was apprehended in Argentina in June 2020. However, this marked only the beginning of a protracted legal battle to secure his return to Turkey.

He sought asylum in Argentina, which was denied, and employed various legal strategies to delay his extradition. During his time in detention, Kurtuluş even went on a hunger strike. The Turkish authorities, closely monitoring the situation, finally received approval from Argentinian officials for his extradition.

The extradition process encountered further complications when transit through Brazil became an issue. Through close cooperation and strong international communication channels between the INTERPOL-Europol Department and Brazilian police, the transit problem was resolved with the support of Brazilian Interpol units and contributions from the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Turkish Embassy and Interior Ministry Counselor in Brazil.

Upon arrival in Brazil on August 13, 2026, a Turkish team, including officials from the General Directorate of Security's Interpol Department, an INTERPOL commissioner, a police officer, and a doctor, took custody of Kurtuluş. During the flight, Kurtuluş continued his disruptive behavior, shouting "There is a bomb on the plane" in Spanish to cause a delay and security check in Brazil, an attempt that was thwarted by Turkish officials.