BRIEF: Erdoğan’s partners work with sanctioned Russian Prigozhin to spread disinformation during elections in Turkey
Nordic Monitor • April 20, 2023
Summary
According to Nordic Monitor, the Aydınlık group in Turkey, which is known for its militant and ultranationalist views, has formed a new organization called Tübamer Sosyal Araştirma ve Danişmanlik A.Ş. (Tübamer). The organization appears to be running influence operations related to the upcoming elections in Turkey. Tübamer is said to be working closely with Yevgeniy Prigozhin. Prigozhin is connected to United World International (UWI), a Russian-backed propaganda organization. UWI has been sanctioned by the U.S., Canada, and their European allies.
The UWI operates in Turkey through the Görev Foundation, which is linked to the Perinçek group. In July 2022, the U.K. sanctioned the Görev Foundation for its association with the UWI. The U.K. claimed that the UWI has supported or promoted policies or actions that destabilize Ukraine or undermine or threaten the country's territorial integrity, sovereignty, or independence.
- Tübamer's owner, Elif İlhamoğlu, was part of a group that attacked a U.S. sailor in Istanbul in 2014 and was indicted for criminal offenses. İlhamoğlu is also linked to the Perinçek group, which is led by Doğu Perinçek, a close ally of President Erdoğan and the chairman of the Homeland Party.
- Tübamer's editor-in-chief, Tunç Akkoç, has been indicted for “membership in a terrorist organization,” and currently serves as the chairman of the European network of the TGB.
- The Harici.com.tr website, which is run by Tübamer, publishes articles that praise Iran, Russia, and China while criticizing Israel, the U.S., and the West as a whole.
- The TGB, which is the youth arm of the Aydınlık group, is notorious for its attacks on NATO bases and U.S. troops in Turkey. Although it has faced multiple criminal investigations, it has been saved from legal troubles thanks to its connections to Erdoğan and the Perinçek group.
- The UWI was established in 2020 by Prigozhin's Project Lakhta, which interfered in past U.S. elections. It was run by Darya Dugina, the daughter of Alexander Dugin, who had long worked with the Perinçek group in Turkey.
- Tübamer's contributors include Ceyda Karan, a journalist who works for Russia's Sputnik media outlet, Erkin Öncan, a communist who campaigns for the Chinese Communist Party, and Cansu Yiğit, a former managing editor of Aydınlık.
- The neo-nationalists are continuing their campaign to undermine Turkey's strategic ties with its NATO allies. They engage in protests and violent attacks against U.S. and European troops in Turkey and spread false narratives in Turkish society.
Messaging
- İlhamoğlu, an editor for UWI, generates anti-Western content and holds events for officials from Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Afghanistan, China, Russia, and Hamas.
- Recent articles from UWI and Tübamer suggest that they aim to influence the election in Turkey. Their coverage is favorable to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and critical of the opposition, which is described as loyal to the NATO alliance.
Medium
- The outlet United World International (UWI), run by Prigozhin and Tübamer Sosyal Araştirma ve Danişmanlik A.Ş. (Tübamer) in Istanbul, employs an editor from UWI.
Source
The Nordic Research Monitoring Network (Nordic Monitor) is a non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness of radical and violent extremist trends in Europe and beyond, with a specific focus on patterns that disrupt peace and harmony among community groups, with an emphasis on Turkey.
