Turkish interior minister calls for "breaking leg of drug traffickers"

Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Suwailo has been criticized for a statement demanding the breaking of the legs of drug traffickers operating near schools.

The Turkish Human Rights League and the opposition secular daily Jomhuriyet accused the minister of inciting "crimes."

"If you find a drug dealer in front of the Vaxroa school and take responsibility, even if the price is 5 or 10 or 20 years in prison," he said.

The minister was speaking at a public meeting to discuss security in Ankara.

He said the seizure of 20 tons of heroin by security forces in 2017 was a record.

He added that Turkey should fight drug traffickers and fight the PKK

Social media coverage of the reactions to Suwailo's statements.

The minister received praise from some because of what they considered courageous in the face of the drug trade, while some drew harsh criticism.

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the minister's words reflected a determination to combat the drug trade.

According to a report by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Addictions, Turkey is being used as a transit station for the smuggling of heroin from Afghanistan to Europe.

The prison population in Turkish drug cases accounts for 20 percent of the prisoners, and their number is rising, but the problem of addiction in Turkey is lighter than in more developed European countries.

According to a government report, 1.5 percent of young people aged 15 to 16 tried drugs at least once.

A report by the Turkish police's anti-narcotics office revealed 80,000 drug-related incidents in 2016, while 15,000 were arrested.

Turkish security forces recently destroyed a marijuana farm in southeastern Turkey, where Kurdish separatists have strong support.