The documentary How the CIA Launched the Most Dangerous Nationalist Group in Europe opens with a reference to Turkish footballer Merih Demiral’s controversial Grey Wolves salute during Euro 2024, which sparked widespread outrage. This gesture brought the Grey Wolves into the international spotlight, but few are aware of the group’s deep-seated history of violence and its significant role in Turkish politics, says Lindsey Snell in the documentary released on 8 August, which she directed alongside Cory Popp. The work uncovers the disturbing origins of the Grey Wolves, rooted in NATO and CIA operations, and their ongoing influence in Turkey and Europe.
“There is a special brand of hatred towards Armenians,” Snell notes in the film, highlighting the group’s intense animosity toward ethnic minorities. The Grey Wolves, an ultra-nationalist group, have a long history of perpetrating violence against ethnic minorities and leftists, both within Turkey and abroad. This violence, as the documentary reveals, is not an isolated occurrence but part of a broader, state-sanctioned campaign of nationalism.
Origins in Cold War geopolitics
The documentary delves into the origins of the Grey Wolves, tracing their roots back to the Cold War. Turkey, despite its official neutrality during World War II, maintained close ties with Nazi Germany. Alparslan Türkeş, a young Turkish officer and admirer of Hitler, went on to found the Grey Wolves and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in 1969. These organisations were nurtured by NATO and the CIA as part of Operation Gladio, a covert operation designed to counter Soviet influence in Europe.
“Despite the dissolution of Operation Gladio in the 1990s, the Grey Wolves remained a potent force, continuing their campaign of violence and indoctrination,” the documentary reveals. The group’s activities during this period included numerous attacks on leftists, Kurds and Armenians, culminating in events like the 1977 Taksim Square massacre and the 1978 Maraş (Mereş) Massacre, which left hundreds dead and thousands injured.
Grey Wolves in Europe: A continuing threat
While the activities of the Grey Wolves in Turkey are well-documented, How the CIA Launched the Most Dangerous Nationalist Group in Europe highlights their significant presence in Europe, particularly in Germany, where they have operated since the 1960s. The documentary highlights how the group, operating under various names such as Türk Federasyon, has managed to sidestep bans in countries like France.
Cory Popp, who attempted to interview members of the Grey Wolves for the documentary, received a chilling response. “Firstly, not Grey Wolves, our real name Ülkü Ocakları,” a representative told Popp, indicating the group’s strategy of rebranding to evade legal repercussions in Europe.
Erol Unal, a former Grey Wolf who grew up in Germany, provides a disturbing account of his indoctrination into the group as a child. “I was taken to Grey Wolves youth meetings at 13,” Unal recounts, offering a rare glimpse into the organisation’s methods of instilling ultra-nationalist ideology in young minds. His testimony is a stark reminder of the insidious influence the Grey Wolves continue to exert on Turkish youth in Europe.
How nationalism permeates Turkish society
The documentary also features Elif, a young Turkish woman who, despite not being raised in a nationalist family, describes the pervasive nature of nationalist ideology in Turkey. “I still had to unlearn a lot of nationalism myself,” Elif says, recounting her childhood experiences with Kurdish classmates who were ostracised by their peers and teachers alike.
Turkey’s official denial of the Armenian genocide is another focal point of the documentary. A passage from a 12th-grade Turkish history book, quoted in the film, reads: “Every year on 24 April, Armenians memorialise their arrests and try to portray them as massacres.” This denial is ingrained in Turkish education and society, reinforcing nationalist narratives that continue to fuel hatred against Armenians.
The role of the Grey Wolves in perpetuating this denial is highlighted by their involvement in the 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. In the aftermath, Grey Wolves in Franceattacked Armenians and defaced Armenian genocide memorials in that country, leading to a French ban on the group. However, as the documentary points out, this ban is largely symbolic, as the Grey Wolves continue to operate under different names.
A dangerous alliance with Turkish politics
The documentary also explores the close ties of the Grey Wolves to Turkey’s current government. The ultra-nationalist MHP, the political arm of the Grey Wolves, is allied with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). This alliance has allowed the Grey Wolves to remain a significant force in Turkish politics, with their influence extending to the media and military.
Snell has herself been targeted by the Grey Wolves. She has reported being targeted by both the untra-nationalist group and by the country’s state-controlled media. After reporting on Turkey’s alleged war crimes, the journalist claims the Grey Wolves harassed her extensively, including publishing her home address and date of birth on Twitter posts. The journalist expressed her concern about the group’s influence in Germany, where this information, usually private, was allegedly obtained through their infiltration of government agencies, including the police.
“The Grey Wolves are not a fringe group in Turkey; they are very much a part of the current Turkish government,” Snell stresses. Her own personal experience with the group in Germany highlights the group’s reach and the dangers faced by those who oppose them.
Conclusion: a call for awareness and action
How the CIA Launched the Most Dangerous Nationalist Group in Europe concludes with a sobering reminder of the continued influence of the Grey Wolves and the threat they pose, not just in Turkey but across Europe. The documentary calls for greater awareness and action against the group, urging European governments to enforce bans and take a firmer stance against the spread of ultra-nationalist ideologies.
As the documentary makes clear, the Grey Wolves are not just a relic of Cold War geopolitics but a present-day menace that continues to perpetuate violence and hatred under the guise of nationalism.
