Former Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP and Minister of Culture and Tourism Fikri Sağlar has raised concerns over the creation of a new special forces unit by Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), alleging a lack of transparency and a potential state cover-up involving the use of the media storm surrounding the recent murder of schoolgirl Narin Güran as a smokescreen. Speaking live on a Halk TV broadcast on 20 September, Sağlar questioned the obscure purpose of this armed force.
Sağlar pointed to the recently established ‘Diplomatic Security Directorate’, created under Presidential Decree No 163, as the operational centre for this new unit. While its stated role is to “protect the Foreign Ministry both inside and outside Turkey”, its broader objectives remain undisclosed, raising questions over its true function.
Sağlar linked the formation of the unit to the high-profile news story of eight-year-old Narin’s murder, suggesting it had been hit upon as a smokescreen behind which they could work on the more obscure details of the unit’s establishment. He highlighted particular concerns over the lack of information regarding operations, training and armament.
Sağlar further alleged that this is not the first time the AKP has formed a special unit of this nature, referring to another similar force created on the quiet during the tenure of former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, ostensibly for disaster response, but with little explanation of its real purpose.
The government has yet to respond to Sağlar’s claims.
