urkey’s intelligence services continue to operate in Germany, focusing primarily on spying on followers of the faith-based Gülen movement and supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to a new report from Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, Turkish Minute reported.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said in its 2024 annual report that Turkish intelligence efforts in Germany center on what it described as transnational repression — targeting critics of the Turkish state beyond its borders.
The main reconnaissance targets include organizations Turkey designates as terrorist, especially the PKK — which is also listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey’s Western allies — and the movement inspired by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, who died in the United States on October 20, 2024.
The Turkish government accuses the Gülen movement of masterminding a coup attempt in 2016 and labels it as a “terrorist organization,” although the movement strongly denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Beyond these groups, Turkish intelligence services are interested in individuals and organizations opposed to the Turkish government and labeled as “enemies of the state,” the BfV report said.
Germany’s large Turkish population and numerous Turkish institutions, associations and diplomatic missions provide many opportunities for covert information gathering, BfV said. According to the report, Turkish intelligence gathers information via recruited human sources or through individuals who volunteer information.
The report further notes that Turkish diplomatic missions in Germany play an active role in the collection, analysis and transmission of intelligence, including forwarding information to law enforcement authorities in Turkey. This has reportedly resulted in numerous arrests, detentions and entry or exit bans affecting people traveling between Germany and Turkey.
In addition to surveillance, Turkish organizations in Germany are reportedly involved in influence operations targeting Turkish communities. According to the BfV, these activities have the potential to impact political decision-making processes in Germany.
The report names the Union of International Democrats (UID) — a Cologne-based interest group founded in 2004 — as the most prominent state or government-affiliated organization engaging in such influence activities. The UID has demonstrated considerable mobilization capabilities, especially during the Turkish parliamentary and presidential elections in May 2023. The group maintains regular contact with Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials and members of the Turkish government.
According to the BfV, political parties and voter associations have repeatedly emerged from the circles surrounding the UID and similar groups, aiming to garner support from the Turkish-Muslim community in Germany.
The report concludes that Turkish intelligence services are expected to continue their surveillance of opposition figures in Germany and that state or government-linked influence activities will likely persist.
