Turkey’s prosecutors are examining millions of new documents related to convicted sex offender and trafficker Jeffrey Epstein as part of an investigation into allegations that he trafficked Turkish children.
According to DW Turkish, the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office launched the investigation in December after an opposition Iyi Party MP highlighted a reference in Epstein’s 2008 civil case. The case alleged that he had “transported minor girls from Turkey, the Czech Republic, Asia, and numerous other countries, many of whom spoke no English”.
Sources said the prosecutor’s office was now examining the approximately three million documents that were released by the US Department of Justice on Friday for more evidence, as calls have continued to mount from Turkish politicians for a broader inquiry.
On Tuesday, an Iyi Party spokesperson called for a parliamentary investigation into possible trafficking by Epstein, who died in an apparent suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial.
“We propose the urgent establishment of a parliamentary commission to investigate whether there are any Turkish children who were victims in the Epstein case, and if so, their fate, rehabilitation, and protection if they are alive and accessible,” said Bugra Kavuncu, speaking from the party’s headquarters.