ANALYTICAL․ Turkish intelligence agency MIT secretly followed US funeral to identify Erdogan critics

Nordic Monitor - In the fall of 2024, Turkey's intelligence service, MIT (Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı), is conducting a covert operation in the United States. They are targeting Erdogan's critics, especially followers of Fethullah Gülen. He started out as an imam and preacher. In 1999, Gülen left Turkey and settled in the United States, where he continued his activities The Hizmet movement spread around the world, establishing schools, charities and cultural centers.

But the change in the political situation in Turkey brought persecution against Gülen and his movement. In 2013, when corruption scandals came to light, Erdogan declared the movement a terrorist organization and began a large-scale persecution of Gülen on October 20, 2024 His funeral at Skylands Stadium in New Jersey drew crowds 20,000 people. MIT followed this event closely, trying to identify all the participants. They used various methods, from physical surveillance to analysis of media reports. The MIT operation shows that Erdogan's regime continues to persecute its critics even abroad, but the US authorities have stepped up security measures to protect the participants. This shows the growing aggressiveness of Turkey's authoritarian government and its attempts to silence opposition everywhere.