Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has revealed his involvement in the country’s “sensitive services” dating back to his early teens.
The minister’s admission came at a Justice and Development Party (AKP) event in Bursa on Monday, when he was asked what he thought about memes and edits featuring him on social media.
The former intelligence chief has seen the volume of social media content featuring him increase significantly since his appointment as foreign minister.
Fidan admitted that the amateur videos shared about him on social media were mostly related to Turkey’s popular ultra-nationalist TV series ‘Valley of the Wolves’ (Kurtlar Vadisi). “I’m used to it now. Since I’ve been in the sensitive services of the state since I was 14, there’s nothing else to do. It’s my destiny,” he said.
The television series, known for its portrayal of an undercover Turkish agent turned mafia leader battling nefarious entities, has been criticised for its anti-Kurdish, anti-Christian and anti-Semitic themes and accused of fuelling xenophobic sentiments in Turkey. Criticism also extends to its depiction of violence, torture and killings in various episodes and feature films, which portray Kurds as American puppets and as a disreputable, cowardly force, with exceptions made for those aligned with Turkish interests.
The producers and screenwriters of the series, known supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had repeatedly voiced views in line with his policies. For instance, in May 2018, Osman Sınav, a prominent producer and screenwriter, expressed views suggesting a Christian agenda to eradicate Turks from the Middle East and establish a Kurdish state in the region, claiming that Turkey was obstructing these efforts through its military intervention in Syria.
Fidan assumed the role of foreign minister in Turkey following the May 2023 general election, marking a transition from his influential position as a spymaster who played a central role in reshaping the country’s intelligence, security and foreign policies under President Erdoğan.
Analysts see Fidan as instrumental in carrying out Erdoğan’s strategic imperatives and ‘dirty work’, as evidenced by his close ties to the president and his adoption of conflict-centred security strategies. Erdoğan himself has referred to Fidan as his ‘black box’, positioning him as a potential successor to the presidency.
Fidan’s recent comments have sparked controversy in Turkey’s political landscape and on social media platforms, with speculation about his alleged training as an agent of the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) since his youth.
Concerns about Fidan’s involvement in the state’s clandestine operations were first raised following the leak of an audio recording on Youtube in March 2014, which purportedly showed senior Turkish officials discussing a false flag operation to justify military intervention in Syria. A voice attributed to Fidan in the recording suggested plans for a staged attack on Turkish territory to incite war, leading to the subsequent blocking of YouTube in Turkey.
Turkey’s military actions against Kurdish-led autonomous regions in Syria are still growing today. Erdoğan stepped up his rhetoric on the conflict and signalled that the intervention would expand, saying on Monday, “We will complete our unfinished business in Syria.”
