This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
The National Intelligence Organization (Turkish: Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı), also known by its Turkish initials MIT or MİT, or colloquially as the Organization (Turkish: Teşkilat), is an intelligence agency of the Turkish government tasked with gathering information of national interests. It gathers information for the Presidency and the Armed Forces about the current and potential threats from inside and outside against all the elements that make up Turkey's integrity, constitutional order, existence, independence, security and national power and take precautions when necessary.
Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı | |
Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 22 July 1965 |
Preceding agency | |
Jurisdiction | Government of Turkey |
Headquarters | KALE, Etimesgut, Ankara[2] |
Employees | 8,000 (2014)[3] |
Annual budget | ₺7.73 billion (2023)[4] |
Agency executive |
|
Parent agency | Presidency of Turkey |
Website | mit.gov.tr |
The MIT is under the provision of the Presidency. It works closely with the Turkish diplomatic missions overseas.
History
editThe organization was formerly named as the Millî Emniyet Hizmetleri Teşkilatı (Turkish: National Police Services Organization) (MAH).[5] One of the MAH directors was Celal Tevfik Karasapan who held the post between 1959 and 1960.[5]
On 9 February 2023 the National Intelligence Academy (NIA), in Turkish Milli İstihbarat Akademisi, was founded and began its activities on 6 January 2024. It is an institution within MIT with the purpose "to provide postgraduate education and conduct scientific research in intelligence, security and strategy."[6][7]
Organization
editOrganizational structure
editThe Organization is headed by a Director-General, who is appointed by the President of Turkey.[8] The Director-General is typically a career intelligence officer with vast experience in intelligence and security matters.[9]
The organization is divided into various departments and units, each specializing in specific areas of intelligence, counterterrorism, and analysis. These units include the Counterterrorism Department, Foreign Relations Department, Signals Intelligence Department, and more.[10][11]
Connections to the Turkish military
editAccording to the former director of Foreign Operations, Yavuz Ataç, the military presence in the organization is negligible,[12] although the organization has a military heritage. In 1990, the percentage of military personnel was 35%, while in 2007 the lower echelons were 4.5% military.[13] While the organization has historically recruited from relatives of existing employees,[14] the former director, Emre Taner, says that this is no longer the case.[15]
Duties
editThe MİT is in charge of collecting intelligence on existing and potential threats from internal and external sources posed against the territory, people and integrity, the existence, independence, security, and all the other elements that compose the constitutional order and the national power of the Republic of Turkey. The MİT is in charge of communicating this intelligence to the President, the Chief of the General Staff, the Secretary General of the National Security Council and other relevant state organizations as necessary.
The MİT is in charge of counterintelligence activities in Turkey.[16][17][18] Legally, it cannot be given any other duty and cannot be led to any other field of activity than collecting intelligence concerning the security of the Republic. The MİT engages in cyberwarfare. The Turkish Ministry of National Defence considers cybersecurity as the country's "fifth frontier" after land, air, sea and space. The MİT uses local cybersecurity solutions mostly developed by companies like HAVELSAN and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.
Activities
editIn 2014, it was revealed in the Turkey's Parliament's Internal Affairs Commission that the MİT has units working abroad and was wiretapping the telephones of 2,473 people, mostly related to "terrorism and spying activities."[19]
On 5 April 2018, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ said that MIT has captured 80 Turkish citizens, suspected of links to FETÖ, from 18 different countries so far.[20]
On 16 October 2020, according to Reuters, Turkey's intelligence officials arrested a man, suspected of spying on foreign Arab nationals on behalf of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The officials said that the man entered Turkey using a non-UAE passport. The detainee confessed to the charges and Turkish authorities obtained "a trove of documents" from him showing UAE affiliation, but there were no reactions received from the UAE.[21] In 2019, Turkey arrested two men suspected of spying on Arab nationals for the UAE. One of the men was connected to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.[22]
In 2022, MIT participated and helped in the prisoner swap between Konstantin Yaroshenko (Russia) and Trevor Reed (USA) which took place in Istanbul.[23]
Africa
editAngola
editTurkish judicial documents revealed that the National Intelligence Organization spied on Turkish nationals in Angola. They were supporters of the Gülen movement.[24]
Egypt
editOn 22 November 2017, Egypt's public prosecutor ordered the detention of 29 people suspected of espionage on behalf of Turkey against Egypt's national interests and joining a terrorist organization. They were also accused of money laundering, conducting overseas calls without a license and trading currency without a license. According to the results of an investigation by the General Intelligence Services, the group had been recording phone calls and passing information to Turkish intelligence as part of a plan to bring the Muslim Brotherhood back to power in Egypt.[25][26]
Gabon
editIn March 2018, MIT abducted three suspected members of the Gülen Movement from Gabon and transferred them from Libreville to Ankara on a private jet.[27]
Kenya
editMIT captured Abdullah Öcalan in Kenya on 15 February 1999, while being transferred from the Greek embassy to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, reportedly with the help of the CIA.[28] He was then forcibly transferred to Turkey and imprisoned on Imrali island where he faced trial. Also, MIT has rescued an Italian citizen, Silvia Romano, who has been kidnapped in Kenya on 20 November 2018, and taken to Somalia.[29] On 31 May 2021, the MIT arrested in Kenya Selahaddin Gülen, who is a nephew of Fetullah Gülen, and brought him to Turkey.[30]
Libya
editIn August 2019, a report was published, which stated that MIT was operating within the capital Tripoli in order to support the Government of National Accord (which is UN recognized).[31] MIT personnel arrived in Libya before any Turkish military unit was sent.[32]
In September 2020, five Turkish journalists were jailed in Turkey after revealing documents about the Turkish intelligence activities in Libya. Three of them released in February 2022.[33]
Sudan
editIn a joint operation of MIT and NISS, a man believed to be a chief financier for the FETÖ, was captured and transported to Turkey.[34]
Americas
editUnited States
editIn 2018, the United States Department of Justice charged Kamil Ekim Alptekin and Bijan Rafiekian with acting as illegal agents of Turkey in the United States.[35]
In July 2019, it was reported that Turkish diplomats with the support of MIT, had extensively spied on critics of the government of Turkey. Among the organizations that were spied on, were schools, companies, nongovernmental and not-for-profit organizations and foundations located in New York, Washington D.C., Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas and Chicago.[36]
Asia
editArmenia
editIn 2002, Armenian special services arrested an Armenian government official on charges of spying for Turkish national intelligence.[37] He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of spying for Turkey.[38]
Azerbaijan
editIn 2018, MIT arrested a FETÖ member in Azerbaijan and brought him to Turkey. He was a teacher working for a school in Azerbaijan which was operated by FETÖ .[39]
Georgia
editAccording to a published news report, operatives of Turkish counterterrorism unit and MIT assigned to the Turkish Embassy had engaged in a large-scale spying campaign on FETÖ-linked organisations and foundations.[40]
Iraq
editIn August 2017, the Kurdistan Communities Union said that had captured two Turkish nationals in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq; the Kurdish group said both individuals captured were working for the MIT. The plan of the two captured Turks, according to NRT News, was to assassinate a senior Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) figure.[41]
In August 2018, it was announced that the PKK leader Ismail Özden and 4 other militants of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) were killed in Turkish airstrikes in Sinjar. The Turkish Armed Forces carried out the joint operation with the MIT.[42]
In April 2019, 4 PKK militants were nabbed at Iraq's Mount Sinjar and were brought to Turkey as part of a joint operation by the MIT and Turkish Armed forces.[43]
In June 2019, Diyar Gharib Muhammed — one of seven members of the PKK's Central Committee was Killed. A Turkish F-16 struck his vehicle with the assistance of human intelligence provided by National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in the Kortek Bend area of Qandil in northern Iraq.[44]
In August 2019, 4 PKK militants were killed in an airstrike by Turkish warplane in a joint operation with MIT in the Qandil area of northern Iraq.[45]
In September 2019, 3 PKK militants were killed in an airstrike by Turkish warplane in a joint operation with MIT in the Gara region of northern Iraq.[46] The same month the MIT in a joint operation, in northern Iraq's Qandil region, with the Turkish Armed Forces neutralized a senior female PKK member together with her driver.[47]
Malaysia
editA Turkish teacher in Malaysia was abducted in 2016 from Kuala Lumpur over alleged links to the Gülen movement. According to reports he has been subjected to beating, torture, death threats and staged executions during his pretrial detention in Ankara.[48]
In August 2019, MIT arrested the Malaysia chief of the FETÖ in an operation and brought him back to Turkey. The person was wanted by Turkey on charges of being involved in the activities of terrorist organization in multiple countries.[49]
Mongolia
editIn July 2018, a Turkish teacher with links to the Gulenist movement was allegedly kidnapped in the Mongolian capital and taken to the city's airport. He has been released after authorities temporarily grounded the airplane which was operated by the Turkish Air Force.[50]
Myanmar
editTurkish judicial documents revealed that Turkish nationals at Myanmar, who were Gülen supporters, were spied.[51]
Pakistan
editIn September 2017, In a Joint operation of MIT, ISI and Punjab Police, A Prominent Turkish Teacher and his family were arrested and brought to Turkey. He was vice president of FETÖ- affiliated educational foundation operating in Pakistan.[52][53]
Syria
editAfter the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the intelligence services of several NATO countries began operating near the Syria-Turkey border, coordinated by MIT. While operating on the Turkish side, all initiatives had to be cleared first with MIT.[54]
The 2014 National Intelligence Organisation scandal in Turkey revealed MIT's role in supplying arms to Syrian rebels in Syria.[55] The Turkish journalists who exposed this arrangement were charged with espionage and "divulging state secrets" by the Turkish courts.[56] One of the journalists claimed:'Those who sent the convoy from Turkey knew that the weapons were "heading to end [up] in ISIS hands"'.[citation needed] Turkish Army officers who intercepted some of the intelligence agency's weapons-filled trucks also faced espionage charges.[55] In June 2019, a Turkish court sentenced the group of officers and prosecutors who stopped the MIT trucks to at least two decades behind bars for obtaining and disclosing confidential state documents. They were also accused of being FETÖ members.[57] The Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet published video footage which it said showed security forces discovering weapons parts being sent to Syria on trucks belonging to MIT.[58] In December 2020, Turkish court sentenced to prison 27 people because they stopped the MIT trucks in 2014.[59]
In October 2014, an Egyptian official said that MIT was helping the ISIS with satellite images and other critical data.[60]
In October 2014, Press TV journalist Serena Shim was killed when the car she was travelling in collided with a heavy vehicle in Suruç in what are claimed, by her employer and parents, to be suspicious circumstances. The car crash happened just days after Shim reported that the MIT had threatened her and accused her of spying because of her reporting on Turkey's stance on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants during the siege of Kobane. She also claimed that she had received images of ISIL militants crossing the Turkish border into Syria in World Food Programme and NGO trucks.[61][62][63]
On 18 March 2016, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin sent a letter to the UN Security Council saying that three Turkish humanitarian organizations sent weapons and supplies to extremists in Syria on behalf of MIT. The three NGOs were the Besar Foundation, the Iyilikder Foundation, and the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms (IHH).[64] In a 2018 interview, former Turkish National Police official Ahmet Yayla said that the MIT has used Turkey's IHH as an intermediary to arm Islamist terrorists.[65]
In 2016, one of the commanders of the Syrian Turkmen rebel group Seljuk Brigade in Syria, Hani al-Mulla, was assassinated. Suspicion ranged from the involvement of Turkish intelligence and Turkish-backed rebels to ISIS.[66]
MİT played an active role in the Turkish military operation in Afrin, including the coordination and direction of the Syrian National Army, as well as intelligence support in the identification of targets for Turkish Air Force airstrikes, and post-destruction evaluation.[67]
According to documents revealed in 2019, the MIT was secretly transported ammunition and fighters into Syria with buses in 2015.[68]
In May 2019, Syria's Military Intelligence Directorate officials met with Turkish MIT intelligence officials including MIT's head Hakan Fidan, despite hostilities between the Syrian and Turkish governments. Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) released a statement saying the meeting was held to prevent a conflict between Syria and Turkey. AKP spokesperson Omer Celik defended the meeting, saying "Our intelligence agencies and our elements in the field can hold any meeting they like at any time they like to prevent some humanitarian tragedies or in line with some needs."[69]
In 2020, European Union Agency for Asylum reported that a lot of the armed opposition groups in Syria are under the near-total control of MIT and the Turkish Ministry of Defence.[70]
Europe
editAustria
editIn 2017, Peter Pilz released a report about the activities of Turkish agents operating through ATIB (Avusturya Türkiye İslam Birliği – Austria Turkey Islamic Foundation), the Diyanet's arm responsible for administering religious affairs across 63 mosques in the country, and other Turkish organizations. Pilz's website faced a DDoS attack by Turkish hacktivists and heavy security was provided when he presented the report publicly. Per the report, Turkey operates a clandestine network of 200 informants targeting opposition as well as Gülen supporters inside Austria.[71]
In September 2020, a Turkish spy was arrested and confessed. In addition, the Austria's interior minister said that there are indications that Turkey's secret service tried to recruit Austrian citizens and that Europol and the European Council had been informed. Turkey rejected the accusations.[72][73]
In October 2020, a Turkish spy turned himself in to Austrian police and claimed that MIT had plans to attack the Austrian politicians, Aygül Berivan Aslan and Peter Pilz. In addition, he said that at the past he had been forced to give a false testimony which convicted Metin Topuz, an employee at the American Consulate in Istanbul. Turkey denied accusations.[74]
Belgium
editIn 2017, the Flemish interior minister, Liesbeth Homans, started the process of withdrawing recognition of the Turkish-sponsored and country's second largest mosque, Fatih mosque in Beringen accusing the mosque of spying in favor of Turkey.[75][76]
Cyprus
In 1994, a prominent Greek Cypriot supporter of Kurdistan, Theophilos Georgiadis, was murdered outside his house in Aglandjia, Nicosia by a Greek Cypriot who was likely paid off by Turkish intelligence, using a Turkish Army officers gun.[77][78]
According to reports, partially confirmed by Cyprus Police, there have been migrants crossing into the government controlled side of Cyprus with links to terrorist organisations and Turkish Intelligence with a Police spokseperson saying that the suspected individuals are under constant surveillance by the intelligence appartus.[79][80]
Czech Republic
editJudicial documents revealed that critics of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were spied upon in the Czech Republic.[81]
France
editMIT was blamed for the 2013 murders of three PKK activists in Paris.[82]
Germany
editIn July 2015 The Tagesspiegel newspaper reported that German federal prosecutors were looking into claims that three men - two Turks and a German national - were instructed by MIT to spy on Erdogan critics in Cologne, particularly Kurds and members of the Muslim minority Alevi community.[83]
In 2016, Bundestag intelligence oversight committee members demanded answer from German government about the reports that Germans of Turkish origin are being pressured in Germany by informers and officers of Turkey's MIT spy agency. According to reports Turkey had 6,000 informants plus MIT officers in Germany who were putting pressure on "German Turks". Hans-Christian Ströbele told that there was an "unbelievable" level of "secret activities" in Germany by Turkey's MIT agency. According to Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, not even the former communist East German Stasi secret police had managed to run such a large "army of agents" in the former West Germany: "Here, it's not just about intelligence gathering, but increasingly about intelligence service repression."[83] German lawmakers have called for an investigation, charging that Turkey is spying on suspected Gulen followers in Germany.[84]
In December 2016, a 31-year-old Turkish citizen who had resided in Germany for a decade was arrested in Hamburg on suspicion of espionage and plotting the assassination of two prominent Kurds on behalf of Turkish security services.[71]
In March 2017 the Turkish secret intelligence service was accused of conducting espionage of more than 300 people and 200 associations and schools linked to supporters of exiled Fethullah Gülen. Boris Pistorius, interior minister for Lower Saxony State, called this "intolerable and unacceptable", stating that "the intensity and ruthlessness with which people abroad are being investigated is remarkable". A German security official said that "we are horrified at how openly Turkey reveals that it is spying on Turks living here".[85][86][87] On 30 March 2017 Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere expresses suspicions that the move may have been intended to weigh on Turkish-German relations − "to provoke us in some way".[88] The appallment was deepened when it was revealed that the 300 persons included politicians, including Michelle Müntefering.[89][90][91]
In June 2017, according to news reports, Turkish Intelligence had reportedly been collecting an increasing amount of information on Bundestag members who are involved in defense as well as domestic and foreign policy. A spokeswoman for Bundeskriminalamt confirmed the report that the agency met with German MPs "in recent weeks" to discuss "safety" concerns, since "protecting members of the Bundestag is a legal task of the BKA".[92]
In October 2017, according to German press reports officials working in Germany's immigration authorities pass on information about Turkish asylum seekers to Turkey. In many cases, even their locations were also revealed, that even their families did not know for security reasons. These incidents showed that Turkish spies may have infiltrated German authorities.[93] In addition, Herbert Reul, the interior minister for the German state of the North Rhine-Westphalia, submitted a report to the state parliament, alleging that the Turkish-German organisation Osmanen Germania works with MIT. The organisation denied the accusations.[94] In July 2018, Germany banned the organisation on allegations it is involved in organized crime and represents a threat to the general public.[95]
In October 2021, German authorities arrested a Turk in a hotel at Düsseldorf for spying on behalf of Turkey. Police found a pistol, ammunition and a list with the names Gulen supporters.[96]
Greece
editIn December 2011, the Turkish newspaper Birgun reported on an interview with former Turkish prime minister Mesut Yilmaz saying that Turkey was behind a number of large forest fires in Greece in the 1990s. Yilmaz later denied the statements, saying he had been misquoted by the newspaper and that he had been actually referring to unsubstantiated reports of Greek involvement in Turkish forest fires.[97][98] In addition, former head of Greek intelligence service said they had intelligence that Turkish agencies were involved in the arsons in the 1990s but had no proof. He said they had received information from their agents in Turkey that Turkish agents or others were involved in the forest fires on Greek islands.[99]
In August 2013, Greek police arrested a German citizen on the island of Chios on suspicion of spying for Turkey. Police said they had found in the man's possession cameras, laptops, maps and glasses with an embedded camera, and an email he had sent to an unidentified recipient with details on Greek warships and army vehicles on the island. The man confessed he had photographed barracks and other military-related buildings on the island for five people he believed were Turkish nationals who paid him up to 1,500 euros ($2,000) for each assignment. Greek authorities suspected that the individuals worked for the Turkish secret services.[100]
In October 2014, Greek police arrested a German citizen on the island of Kos because he photographed sensitive locations on the island. He admitted that was spying for MIT[101][102] and he was recruited in 2011. He was paid 2,000 euros every month and the money were deposited to his bank account in Germany. Furthermore, he said that he was one of the many European retirees living in Greece who have been recruited by Turkey in order to spy against Greece.[103]
In June 2016, a Turkish intelligence officer who worked in the Trabzon Province admitted that his agency ran surveillance on Greek tourists who visited the province. Many Greeks visit the Trabzon and the historic Greek Orthodox Sumela Monastery there.[104]
In February 2017, the newspaper Kathimerini reported that the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation recruits EU retirees to spy on a variety of Greek sensitive locations, including military bases, airports and power plants.[105][101]
In March 2017, the former editor in chief of the English version of Turkish Zaman newspaper, Abdullah Bozkurt, posted a tweet on his account warning of increased clandestine operations of Turkish intelligence agents in Greece.[106]
In April 2020, a document published by the Gülen-aligned Nordic Monitor, claims that Turkish intelligence was spying on refugees and migrants in Greece in order to find details of those who were persecuted by the Erdogan administration.[107]
In August 2020, more documents revealed the illegal information gathering and surveillance activities in Greece by the MIT, the Turkish Embassy and the Turkish consulates against Turkish asylum seekers.[108]
In December 2020, Greek authorities arrested two Greek Muslims in Rhodes for espionage. One was working at the Turkish Consular Authority in Rhodes and the other on a passengers ship which connects the Rhodes with Kastelorizo.[109]
Kosovo
editIn March 2018, six Turkish nationals from Kosovo had been captured by Turkish intelligence and brought to Turkey over alleged links to schools financed by the Gulen movement. Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said, speaking to supporters and party members in Istanbul: "Our National Intelligence Agency captured six of the highest ranking members [of Gulen's network] in the Balkans in the operation it conducted in Kosovo."[110]
Lithuania
editThe cyber team of the MİT hacked the server of the ByLock in Lithuania and transferred all signed-up IP's to the headquarters in Ankara. The MİT had finalized its operation in December 2015 and January 2016, before ByLock has ceased its operation. Bylock was a secure communication app and Turkish authorities believe that it was exclusively allocated for the members of the Gülen Movement.[111]
Moldova
editIn 2018, Turkish together with Moldovan intelligence services detained at least six Turkish nationals employed at a private chain of high schools in Moldova. All were teachers or students at the Horizont Turkish high-school private chain, which is seen as close to the Fethullah Gulen.[112][113]
Norway
editThe Gülen-aligned Stockholm Center for Freedom accused the Norwegian Islamist religious organizations that are affiliated with Turkish government that were illegally profiling and intelligence gathering activities on Turks who are believed to be affiliated with Gülen movement in Norway.[114][115]
Serbia
editIn 2015, Matthew Aid wrote that according to reports spies from Turkey is among the most active in Serbia. Turkey organize and finance the movement of Bosniaks for the secession of the Raška region.[116]
Sweden
editAccording to the Gülen-aligned Stockholm Center for Freedom, an investigation was launched on suspicion of unlawful intelligence gathering and illegal "mapping" against opposition circles in Sweden.[117]
Switzerland
editParliamentarian Alex Kuprecht announced that the government was considering opening a criminal case against regarding espionage and other illegal activities performed by Turkish agents against dissidents. Also, there were espionage against academics who were critical of Turkey.[71] On March 16, 2017, the Office of the Attorney General launched a criminal inquiry into possible foreign spying on Switzerland's Turkish community. Investigation also concerned an attempt to kidnap a Swiss-Turkish in Zurich to take him abroad.[118] That same month, Switzerland's foreign minister warned Turkey against illegal spying on expatriate Turks in Switzerland.[119] In April 2017, a Swiss policeman of Turkish origin was arrested on the accusation that he was spying for the Turkish government.[120]
Turkey
editAt the time of the 1971 Turkish military memorandum, the MIT did not inform Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel about the coup plans, and asked for the PM's resignation on the day of the coup.[121]
During the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, the plans for "Operation Flag" (Bayrak Harekâtı) were conveyed to the military units by an MİT airplane. Once again, the agency did not notify the prime minister, even though legally it was under his authority, as it was part of the coup.[121]
During the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, the MİT fought against the coup plotters.[121]
Ukraine
editIn July 2018, a gulen-linked suspect was brought to the Turkey from Ukraine following operations conducted by the MİT.[122]
In February 2022, MIT captured and abducted the Turkish arm dealer and former special forces captain in the Turkish armed forces, Nuri Bozkir, who exposed the Turkish arms transfers to militant groups in Syria and Libya. He applied for political asylum in Ukraine and Turkey issued an Interpol red notice calling for his arrest for the 2002 murder of Turkish academic Necip Hablemitoglu while Bozkir denied any involvement.[123]
United Kingdom
editIn 1994, Mehmet Kaygisiz, a Kurdish man with links to the PKK and the north London underworld, was shot dead at a café in Islington. His murder remained unsolved and at the time his murder was thought to be drug-related, but in 2016 new documents suggest that MIT ordered his murder.[82]
In 2018, Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter, who was against Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, informed the New York Knicks he will not be traveling with the team to London because he believed that a trip there would be life-threatening. When a reporter asked him if he really believes a trip to London would be dangerous, he replied: "They've got a lot of spies there. I can get killed very easy. That will be a very ugly situation."[124]
Oceania
editAustralia
editTurkish imams preaching in Australia's mosques have been instructed to spy on Australian supporters of Fethulah Gülen.[125]
The illegal surveillance, information collection and monitoring activities of the Turkish intelligence agency in Australia was exposed in classified documents in 2020.[126]
List of the Directors of The National Intelligence Organization
editName | Took office | Left office | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Avni Kantan | 14 July 1965 | 2 March 1966 |
2 | Mehmet Fuat Doğu | 2 March 1966 | 27 March 1971 |
3 | Nurettin Ersin | 2 August 1971 | 25 July 1973 |
4 | Bülent Türker | 26 July 1973 | 27 February 1974 |
5 | Bahattin Özülker | 28 February 1974 | 26 September 1974 |
6 | Bülent Türker | 26 September 1974 | 24 November 1974 |
7 | Hamza Gürgüç | 25 November 1974 | 13 July 1978 |
8 | Adnan Ersöz | 13 July 1978 | 19 November 1979 |
9 | Bülent Türker | 19 November 1979 | 7 September 1981 |
10 | Burhanettin Bigalı | 7 September 1981 | 14 August 1986 |
11 | Hayri Ündül | 5 September 1986 | 28 August 1988 |
12 | Teoman Koman | 29 August 1988 | 27 August 1992 |
13 | Sönmez Köksal | 9 November 1992 | 11 February 1998 |
14 | Şenkal Atasagun | 11 February 1998 | 11 June 2005 |
15 | Emre Taner | 15 June 2005 | 26 May 2010 |
16 | Hakan Fidan | 26 May 2010 | 10 February 2015[127] |
17 | Hakan Fidan | 9 March 2015[128] | 4 June 2023 |
18 | İbrahim Kalın | 5 June 2023 | Incumbent |
Permission for testimony
editTestimony in court may only be made with and by the permission of the Director of the MİT. According to Article 29 of Law No. 2937, MİT agents must not give their testimony if it pertains to state secrets without further permission from the MİT.
Museum
editThe Organization owns a non-public Museum of Espionage consisting of a variety of spy equipment, which was revealed once in October 2013.
Equipment
editAircraft | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles | ||||||
Model | Image | Origin | Type | Variant | Notes | |
TAI Anka | Turkey | UCAV | Anka-B | Electronic warfare and intelligence UAV made for the National Intelligence Organization. Equipped with electronic warfare and intelligence systems (IMINT,ELINT,COMINT,SIGINT).[129][130][131] | ||
Anka-I | ||||||
Bayraktar TB2 | Turkey | UCAV | TB2S | [132][133][134][135] | ||
Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı | Turkey | UCAV | Akinci-A | [136] | ||
TAI Aksungur | Turkey | UCAV | [137] | |||
Airplane | ||||||
Bombardier Challenger 600 series | Canada | ELINT/SIGINT | CL-604 | [138] | ||
CL-605 | ||||||
Helicopters | ||||||
S-70 Black Hawk | United States | ELINT/SIGINT | S-70i | [138] | ||
Sikorsky S-76 | United States | ELINT/SIGINT | S-76+ | [138] | ||
Naval | ||||||
Ships | ||||||
MİLGEM type ship | Turkey | Intelligence gathering ship.[139] | TCG Ufuk (A-591) | Delivered on 14.01.2022. Overall length of 99.5 meters, 14.4 meters of maximum width, 2,400 tons of displacement, and 3.6 meters of draft. She has a hangar and helicopter deck to accommodate a 10-ton helicopter. | ||
Space | ||||||
Satellites | ||||||
Planned future acquisition | Turkey | Spy satellite | According to the Turkish authorities, the next plan for MIT is the creation of a spy satellite.[140][141] |
References
edit- ^ "History of the MİT, MİT official Web site". mit.gov.tr. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ "MİT'in yeni binası 'KALE' hizmete açılıyor,Anadolu Agency". aa.com.tr. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ "MTurkish gov't takes a step back on intel bill upon harsh criticism". 23 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
According to the information disclosed at the Commission, around 8,000 staff members are working for the organization,
- ^ "2023 Yılı Merkezi Yönetim Bütçe Kanunu Teklifi" (PDF). T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Strateji ve Bütçe Başkanlığı. 17 October 2022.
- ^ a b Ali Hikmet İnce (14 November 2019). "Beşiktaş Maçı Olduğunda Derse Girmeyen Profesör". alihikmetince.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Intel academy releases first report on far-right extremism in the West". Hürriyet Daily News. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "National Academy". mit. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Adar, Sinem; Seufert, Günter (2021). "SWP" (PDF). p. 12.
- ^ "National Intelligence Organization". mit.gov.tr. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ^ "Post-coup shake-up at Turkey's intelligence agency". 6 November 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ "Organization structure of the National Intelligence Organization".
- ^ Ünlü, Ferhat (16 July 2007). "İngiliz general Apo'nun başına beş milyon sterlin istedi". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 18 December 2008.
Ataç, ordu kökenlilerin oranının hiçbir zaman yüzde dördü geçmediğini belirttiği MİT'te, sivilleşme olgusu ve asker-sivil sorunsalının yanlış ele alındığı görüşünde.
- ^ Ünlü, Ferhat (19 July 2007). "MİT'te iç çekişme entrikaya yol açtı". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 18 December 2008.
Yaklaşık 5 bin kadrolu personeli bulunan kurumda (Yardımcı istihbarat elemanları ile birlikte bu sayı çok daha fazla) alt kademelerdeki ordu kökenlilerin oranının yüzde 4.5'i geçmediği belirtiliyor.
- ^ "Kim kimin akrabası?". Sabah (in Turkish). 20 July 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2008. [dead link]
- ^ "MİT'te akrabalık önemli referans". Sabah (in Turkish). 20 July 2007. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ^ Today, Politics (18 November 2021). "To Whom It May Concern: Turkey's Counter-Spy Operations Send Messages". Politics Today. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "National Intelligence Organization". irp.fas.org. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "Turkish foreign minister still thinks he's the intelligence chief - Nordic Monitor". nordicmonitor.com. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "Turkish gov't takes a step back on intel bill upon harsh criticism - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. 24 February 2014.
- ^ "Turkey's spy agency has captured 80 FETÖ-linked suspects from 18 countries: Bozdağ - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. 5 April 2018.
- ^ "Turkey arrests man suspected of spying for UAE - source". Reuters. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Turkey announces arrest of 2 men on suspicion of spying for UAE". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ "Prisoner swap plan devised by MİT on Moscow, Washington demand: Sources". hurriyetdailynews. 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Turkish Embassy gathered illegal information on Erdoğan critics in Angola". 14 March 2021 – via nordicmonitor.com.
- ^ "Egypt detains 29 people on suspicion of espionage for Turkey". Reuters. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ "In Pictures: Egypt foils Turkish espionage attempt - Egypt Today". www.egypttoday.com. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ "Turkish intelligence agency brings three FETÖ members from Gabon to Turkey - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. 10 April 2018.
- ^ Weiner, Tim (20 February 1999). "U.S. Helped Turkey Find and Capture Kurd Rebel". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
- ^ "Turkish intelligence agency rescues a kidnapped Italian citizen in Kenya".
- ^ "FETÖ ringleader's nephew avows himself". hurriyetdailynews. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ "Libyan National Army: Turkish intelligence is operating in Tripoli". Middle East Monitor. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Turkish intelligence agents, foreign fighters arrive in Libya: Sources". alarabiya. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ "TThree Turkish journalists set for jail over Libya coverage released -lawyer". reuters.com. 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Senior FETÖ figure captured by Turkish intelligence in Sudan". Daily Sabah. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ "Two Men Charged with Conspiracy and Acting as Agents of a Foreign Government". Department of Justice - Office of Public Affairs. 17 December 2018.
- ^ "Turkish diplomats have spied extensively on critics in the United States". 26 July 2019.
- ^ "TURKISH SPY ARRESTED". armenpress.am. February 2002.
- ^ Danielyan, Emil (9 April 2008). "Armenia: Official Sentenced To 10 Years For Spying For Turkey". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
- ^ "Turkish intel returns wanted gulenist member from Azerbaijan". hurriyetdailynews. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ "Turkish diplomats spied on Erdoğan critics in Georgia, secret document reveals". Nordic Monitor. 25 June 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- ^ "PKK confirms capture of two Turkish spies in Iraq". Middle East Eye.
- ^ Stocker, Joanne (15 August 2018). "Turkey says PKK leader in northern Iraq 'neutralized' after Sinjar airstrike report". The Defense Post. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ "4 PKK terrorists brought to Turkey from Iraq in operation by Turkish intelligence". Daily Sabah. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "Son dakika: Terör örgütü PKK/KCK'nın sözde liderlerine operasyon! Diyar Garip Muhammed etkisiz hale getirildi..." Sabah.
- ^ "Turkish warplanes neutralize 4 PKK terrorists In. Iraq". MENAFN. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "3 PKK terrorists neutralized by Turkish jets in northern Iraq". Daily Sabah. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ^ "Turkey neutralizes senior female YPG/PKK terrorist - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. 8 January 2020.
- ^ "Cellmate: Teacher abducted by Turkey's MİT from Malaysia subjected to torture in Ankara". 1 April 2018.
- ^ "Turkish intelligences captures FETÖ suspect in Malaysia". HurriyetDailyNews. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
- ^ "Turkish teacher kidnapped in Mongolia freed after authorities ground flight". Reuters. 28 July 2018 – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ "Turkish diplomats in Myanmar spied on critics, cabled secret files to Ankara". 21 March 2021 – via nordicmonitor.com.
- ^ "A Turkish family has disappeared in Pakistan, and suspicion turns to intelligence agencies". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ^ "Pakistan admits they secretly deported Turkish family wanted by Erdogan govt". Indian Express. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
- ^ "There are 50 senior agents in Turkey, ex-spy says - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. 16 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Exclusive: Turkish intelligence helped ship arms to Syrian Islamist rebel areas". Reuters. 21 May 2015.
- ^ "Turkish journalists charged over claim that secret services armed Syrian rebels". The Guardian. 27 November 2015.
- ^ "Turkish court sentences defendants in MİT trucks case". hurriyetdailynews. 29 June 2019.
- ^ "Video purports to show Turkish intelligence shipping arms to Syria". Reuters. 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Turkish court issues detailed ruling on MIT trucks case". hurriyetdailynews. 30 December 2020.
- ^ "Turkey's relationship with ISIS proves it's deserting its European allies". The Jerusalem Post. 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Iranian broadcaster raises suspicions about death of reporter on Syrian border". The Guardian.
- ^ "US-Lebanese reporter dies in Turkey, Iranian TV calls accident 'suspicious'". Hurriyet.
- ^ "Family suspects foul play in death of US journalist in Turkey". Fox News.
- ^ "Russia claims Turkish NGOs are 'main supplier' of extremists in Syria". Deutsche WElle.
- ^ "Turkey Experts Worry Erdogan Might Use Al Qaeda Against Kurds". algemeiner.
- ^ "Killing of Turkmen Commanders in Syria Complicates IS Fight". voanews. 17 September 2016.
- ^ "Intelligence agency MİT playing active role in Turkey's Afrin operation - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Turkish intelligence agency moved busloads of jihadists into Syria as reinforcements". nordicmonitor. 10 January 2019.
- ^ "Turkey's AK Party says nothing wrong with intelligence meetings with Syria despite tensions". Reuters. 22 May 2019 – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ European Union Agency for Asylum, 1.3. Anti-government armed groups, 2020
- ^ a b c "Turkey's Influence Network In Europe Is Leading To Tension". huffingtonpost. 5 June 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
- ^ "Austria says Turkish spy caught amid probe into Turkish-Kurdish clashes". al-monitor. September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ "Austria to file charges against Turkish spy - interior minister". reuters. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ^ Bennhold, Katrin; Gall, Carlotta (13 October 2020). "Turkish Defector Says He Was Ordered to Kill Politician in Austria". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ Gotev, Georgi (7 April 2017). "Flemish minister: Turkish-sponsored mosque is 'nest of spies'".
- ^ Solmaz, Mehmet (6 July 2017). "Influenced by Gülenists, Belgium targets Turkish mosques fighting extremism". Daily Sabah.
- ^ "Θεόφιλος Γεωργιάδης! Ένας ακόμα μάρτυρας του Ελληνισμού". 20 March 2023.
- ^ ""Θα σε σκοτώσουμε!" Τα απειλητικά τηλεφωνήματα στον αγωνιστή Θεόφιλο Γεωργιάδη λίγο πριν τη δολοφονία έξω από το σπίτι του. Τι απέγιναν οι φερόμενοι ως δολοφόνοι του". ΜΗΧΑΝΗ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥ (in Greek). 19 March 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ Δημητριάδη, Ραφαέλα (25 September 2023). "Κύπρος – Αποκαλυπτικό: Επαφές μεταναστών με ΜΙΤ και Τούρκους στρατιωτικούς". Φιλελεύθερος | Philenews (in Greek). Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ "Πρόβλημα εθνικής ασφάλειας! Ανενόχλητοι πράκτορες τις ΜΙΤ ετοιμάζουν μετανάστες για χάος στην Κύπρο". Pentapostagma (in Greek). 27 September 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ Turkish Embassy in Prague spied on President Erdogan's critics
- ^ a b "New documents appear to link Turkish state with murder in London". The Independent. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Report: Turkey's MIT agency menacing 'German Turks' | DW | 21.08.2016". DW.COM.
- ^ "German Lawmakers Call for Probe on Imams Suspected of Spying for Turkey". turkeypurge. 10 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ "Germany accuses Turkey of 'unacceptable' spying". The Independent. 28 March 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Germany to investigate claims of 'intolerable' spying by Turkey". The Guardian. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Turks in Germany warned over surveillance from Ankara". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Germany: Turkish spy list may be deliberate provocation". Fox News. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Müntefering wirft türkischem Geheimdienst Denunziation vor". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Name of German SPD lawmaker Michelle Müntefering found on Turkish spying list". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Spionage-Affäre: Michelle Müntefering auf türkischer Geheimdienstliste". Faz.net (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Report: German politicians under surveillance by Turkish intelligence". Die Welt. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Turkey spies betraying asylum seekers in German immigration offices | DW | 16.10.2017". DW.COM.
- ^ "'Sons of AKP': Turkish-German biker gang accused of aiding Turkish spies". Middle East Eye.
- ^ "Germany bans Turkish biker gang Osmanen Germania - World News". Hürriyet Daily News. 10 July 2018.
- ^ "Germany investigates man on suspicion of spying for Turkey". dw.com.
- ^ "Former Turkish PM's arson admission fuels anger". Business Insider. 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Outrage As Former Turkish Prime Minister Says The Country Secretly Started Huge Forest Fires In Greece". Business Insider. 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Turk-Greek ties strained by arson row". Hurriyet Daily News. 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Greek police arrest German on suspicion of spying". reuters. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Ιστορίες με κατασκόπους στο Αιγαίο, του Γιάννη Σουλιώτη | Kathimerini". www.kathimerini.gr. 13 February 2017.
- ^ "Δικάζεται στη Ρόδο κατάσκοπος της Τουρκίας". www.larissanet.gr. 21 June 2019.
- ^ "Greece jails member of alleged network of German retirees spying for Turkey". intelnews.org. 9 December 2016.
- ^ Bozkurt, Abdullah (28 June 2020). "Greeks who visited historic monastery in Turkey were surveilled by Turkish intelligence". nordicmonitor.
- ^ "Turkish intelligence recruits EU retirees to spy on Greece". Ahval. 17 January 2018.
- ^ Bozkurt, Abdullah (27 March 2017). "My sources are telling me #Turkey intel has escalated clandestine ops in #Greece, raising the number of operatives. Plotting something?". Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ Bozkurt, Abdullah (20 April 2020). "Turkish intelligence operations in Greece exposed in secret documents". nordicmonitor.
- ^ Bozkurt, Abdullah (22 August 2020). "More secret documents confirming vast Turkish espionage activities in Greece uncovered". nordicmonitor.
- ^ "Δύο συλλήψεις Ελλήνων για κατασκοπεία στη Ρόδο". skai.gr. 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Kosovo investigates seizure of Turkish nationals". Reuters. 31 March 2018 – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ "Turkish intelligence unveils secret codes used before coup attempt". Hürriyet Daily News. 12 September 2016.
- ^ "Turkey snatches 'Gulenist' teachers in Moldova". Al-Monitor. 6 September 2018.
- ^ "Turkish Secret Services Nab Six 'Gulenists' in Moldova". 6 September 2018.
- ^ "Turkey' spying imams active also in Norway: monitoring group | Turkey Purge".
- ^ "Turkey's autocratic President Erdoğan's spying, profiling expands in Norway". 1 April 2017.
- ^ "Matthew M. Aid". 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Report: Sweden Launches Espionage Probe Into Turkish Gov't Representatives". stockholmcf. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
- ^ swissinfo.ch, S. W. I.; Corporation, a branch of the Swiss Broadcasting (14 March 2018). "Swiss ministry says no diplomatic immunity for Turkish spying suspects". SWI swissinfo.ch.
- ^ "Swiss foreign minister warns Turkey against illegal spying - World News". Hürriyet Daily News. 24 March 2017.
- ^ sabah, daily (1 May 2017). "As anti-Turkish politics grip Europe Turkish-Swiss policeman arrested". Daily Sabah.
- ^ a b c "What's next for Turkey's National Intelligence Agency?". Hürriyet Daily News. 28 August 2017.
- ^ "Turkish intelligence brings key FETÖ suspect from Ukraine to Turkey - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. 16 July 2018.
- ^ "Turkey's intelligence agency abducts arms dealer in Ukraine". DW.
- ^ Wootson, Cleve R. Jr. "Enes Kanter to skip Knicks' London trip out of fear he could be killed by Turkish spies". Washington Post.
- ^ "Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps". www.theaustralian.com.au.
- ^ Bozkurt, Abdullah (22 May 2020). "Turkish Spy Agency MIT Targets Government Critics in Australia". Middle East Forum.
- ^ "Turkey's intelligence chief resigns to run for elections in June". Hürriyet Daily News. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Former Turkish spy chief re-appointed to post after abandoning election bid". Reuters. 9 March 2017.
- ^ "ANKA-I Elektronik Harp ve İstihbarat İHA". Millisavunma.com (in Turkish). 30 March 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ Akgungor, Ilker (27 March 2018). "MİT'in havadaki kulağı ANKA-İ". Medium. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Recent Developments in the ANKA UAS Programme". www.monch.com. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Bayraktar TB2, Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı'nın envanterine girdi". takvim.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ Özen, Ege Buğra (26 June 2019). "MİT envanterine Bayraktar TB2". AirTurkHaber.com (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Bayraktar TB2'den yeni rekor: 300 bin uçuş saatini tamamladı". www.trthaber.com (in Turkish). 22 February 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ Haber, Hava (25 June 2019). "THY'nin Rüya uçağının adını sen koy". Hava Haber (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ Kurunç, Kamer (30 August 2021). "Baykar Savunma Kaç Adet AKINCI TİHA Teslim Etti?". Savunma Sanayi ST. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Orbats". www.scramble.nl. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "Orbats". www.scramble.nl. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ SABAH, DAILY (14 January 2022). "'Turkey's eyes, ears at sea': 1st intelligence ship joins naval fleet". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ KURUNÇ, Kamer (14 January 2022). "Turkish Intelligence Thrives With National Defence Products". turkishdefencenews.com.
- ^ Darıcılı, Ali Burak (2022). "The Operational Capacity of Turkish Intelligence within the Scope of Use of High-Technology Products". Insight Turkey: 135–150. doi:10.25253/99.2022243.9.
- "Bayraktar TB2, Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı'nın envanterine girdi". takvim.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 takvim.com.trMarch 2021.
Further reading
edit- Ferhat Ünlü (2006). "18. The National Intelligence Organization". In Ümit Cizre (ed.). Almanac Turkey 2005: Security Sector and Democratic Oversight. Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. ISBN 978-975-8112-79-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2009. (Turkish)
External links
edit- Media related to Millî İstihbarat Teşkilâtı at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Official website (in Turkish)
- Official website (in French)
- Frequently Asked Questions about the MİT