Palestinian Islamic Jihad gained a foothold in Türkiye thanks to the Erdogan government

Abdallah Bozkurt/Stockholm

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), designated as a terrorist group by Turkey's strategic partners the United States and the European Union, has significantly increased its presence in NATO member state Turkey with substantial support from Islamist government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his allies. allies.

Although Hamas is the preferred organization of the Erdogan government, enjoying more generous support and a more favorable public visibility in Turkey, the PIJ has nonetheless gained significant influence and developed the ability to rally Turks to its support to the militant organization.

The main Palestinian agent overseeing Turkish operations is Ihsan Ataya, the head of the PIJ in Lebanon and member responsible for external affairs of the organization. Its main enabler is Nurettin (also known as Nureddin) irin, a longtime Turkish asset for the Iran-based Quds Force. Irin served a prison sentence for aiding and abetting the Quds Forces terrorist network, known in Turkey as Tawhid-Salam.

Irin was the subject of a new terrorist investigation in 2010 when he threatened to kill Jews in Turkey, prompting police and prosecutors to investigate him and his associates. However, the investigation, which uncovered further evidence of irin's illegal ties to Iran, including illicit financing, was canceled by Turkish President Erdogan in 2014. Police and prosecutors who had investigated irin were arbitrarily reassigned and then fired by the government.

Ataya has repeatedly visited Turkey as a guest of Irin and his network, participating in anti-Israel rallies and giving speeches encouraging armed jihad against the West, particularly Israel. On behalf of the PIJ, he raised funds and obtained logistical support for the organization's terrorist operations.

The last time Ataya appeared in Turkey was on May 5, 2024, when he gave a fiery speech at a rally in Istanbul organized by Turkish Hezbollah. This pro-Iranian group, aligned with the Erdogan government since 2014, is a separate entity from Lebanese Hezbollah, although both share the same ideological views and are supported by Iran.

A second Turkish national serving as PIJ spokesperson is Kadir Akaras, the secretary general of the pro-Iranian organization Ehli Beyt Alimleri Dernei (Ehlader). A terrorism investigation conducted between 2011 and 2013 exposed Akaras' ties to the Quds Force and exposed his meetings with Quds Force operatives who worked undercover as attachés at the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. Like Irin, he also managed to escape the long arm of justice due to the interference of the Erdogan government in this matter.

On behalf of Iran, Akaras has carried out multiple clandestine operations, organized anti-Western rallies in Turkey to shape public opinion, and mobilized protesters against the Krecik NATO radar station, located in Malatya province. , in the southeast of the country. The radar station, which serves as an early warning system against ballistic missile attacks, was initially installed and is currently operated by U.S. military personnel.

Ataya also received the blessing of the Erdogan government, which helped him navigate Turkey's bureaucracy smoothly and facilitated his engagement with Turkish officials. The Turkish Embassy in Lebanon even publicly shared a photo of him meeting Turkish Ambassador Hakan akl on January 17, 2020, an event that would have been unimaginable a decade ago. The photo testifies to the acceptance of Ataya by Turkish state agencies.

Hasan Turan, who mobilizes resources for Hamas in Turkey on behalf of President Erdogan, has also aided and abetted the PIJ in its activities in the country. Turan, an MP from Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), heads the Palestine-Turkey parliamentary friendship group.

The PIJ's recognition as a legitimate actor within Turkey's top leadership has also influenced the positive coverage it receives in media outlets controlled directly or indirectly by the Erdogan government. It frequently receives favorable attention in Turkey's official Anadolu news agency, reflecting the government's official view.

In return, the PIJ positioned itself as a strong supporter of the Erdogan regime in Turkey, rallying its supporters to support Erdogan in the elections. In fact, Ataya issued a statement on behalf of the PIJ on May 29, 2023, congratulating Erdogan on his victory in the presidential and parliamentary elections, which were conducted unfairly in favor of Erdogan and his party.

In addition to Islamist groups, the JIP also gained support from the far-left neo-nationalist group (Ulusalc) Aydnlk, led by Dou Perinek, the leader of the Fatherland Party (Vatan Partisi). The group is clearly anti-Western and advocates that Turkey sever its ties with NATO and move towards an alliance with Iran, Russia and China.

Ataya was Featured » in the group's spokesperson, the Aydnlk newspaper, on February 18, 2024, in an exclusive interview he gave in Lebanon. He said the PIJ is waging a war not only against Israel but also against the United States, the United Kingdom and other Western countries that support Israel. He predicted that Israel would turn its gaze to other countries in the region after Palestine, a view recently echoed by Turkish President Erdogan.

Speaking before Parliament on May 15, 2024, Erdogan asserted that Israel would set its sights on Turkey if it managed to defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Don't think Israel will stop at Gaza, Erdoan told his party's lawmakers. Unless stopped, this rogue, terrorist state will set its sights on Anatolia. [Turkey] sooner or later, he said. We will continue to support Hamas, which is fighting for the independence of its own territory and defending Anatolia.

Nasser Abu Sharif, the PIJ representative in Iran, was another senior official promoted in Turkey by the Aydnlk group. In an interview published On May 27, 2021, Sharif was given a platform to communicate the PIJ's jihadist ideology and its commitment to armed campaigns against Jews in particular and against the West in general.

While Hamas is the main beneficiary of the Erdogan government's support, the PIJ's presence in Turkey has also grown considerably in recent years. However, this fact has often been neglected in public debate and has remained in the shadow of Hamas.