Turkish intelligence demands prosecution of journalist over Syria jihadist ties expose

Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has secretly demanded the prosecution of Sweden-based Turkish journalist Abdullah Bozkurt for an investigative article that exposed the agency's covert ties to jihadist groups in Syria, triggering a criminal investigation and trial in absentia.

A secret letter dated January 22, 2025, signed by MIT legal counsel Fuat Midas on behalf of intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın, was sent to the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor in Ankara. The letter complained about an article by Bozkurt that detailed MIT's covert relationship with Anas Hasan Khattab, now director of Syria's General Intelligence Service (GIS). Khattab was designated by the United States in 2012 and the United Nations in 2014 over his links to al-Qaeda. Although UN designations are binding on Turkey, Ankara resisted listing Khattab for years, eventually designating him as a terrorist in 2016 under pressure, though the designation was never meaningfully enforced.

The article revealed that MIT had worked closely with Khattab during the Syrian civil war and that he was handled by senior Turkish intelligence officer Kemal Eskintan, then head of the agency's Special Operations section. Eskintan operated under the alias "Abu Furqan" in dealings with jihadist groups in Syria. The secret letter implicitly confirmed key elements of the investigation, including details concerning Eskintan's covert identity.

In the document, MIT complained that the article had exposed the identity of one of its operatives and sensitive intelligence activities, arguing the report was intended to discredit the agency. The letter was marked "secret" and demanded that Bozkurt be prosecuted and sentenced to up to 17 years in prison.

The case was assigned to prosecutor Ahmet Ardıç of the Special Investigations Bureau, a unit known for handling sensitive political cases referred by intelligence authorities. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek granted formal authorization on March 13, 2026. Ardıç filed an indictment against Bozkurt on April 2, 2026. The Ankara 25th High Criminal Court accepted the indictment on April 22, 2026, launching a trial in absentia.

Responding to the charges, Bozkurt said the article exposed conduct that would constitute criminal activity under both international and Turkish law. "If a criminal case needs to be launched, it should be against MIT and its agents who empowered terrorist groups in Syria, contributing to the murder of innocent people who had nothing to do with the campaign to oust Bashar al-Assad," he said. Bozkurt added: "MIT was caught red-handed supporting a designated terrorist group. This case shows the agency is panicking and scrambling to defend itself by fabricating charges against journalistic work."

Bozkurt is already facing multiple criminal cases in Turkey over investigative reporting that has exposed Ankara's ties to jihadist networks and the intelligence agency's false flag operations. Turkey has also sought his extradition from Sweden. However, the Supreme Court of Sweden rejected the request last year, ruling that the allegations did not constitute a crime under Swedish law and that Bozkurt's work is protected by strong safeguards for freedom of expression and the press.