Image Credentials: Image Title: Turkish Intelligence Allegedly Used Journalist in Influence Operations, Former Investigator Claims. Source: (chatgpt.com) Date: June 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (chatgpt.com) by Open Chronicle and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle News Desk with Agencies
Fresh allegations have placed Turkey’s intelligence services under renewed scrutiny after a former senior police investigator claimed that a prominent journalist was recruited and managed as an intelligence asset to support influence operations benefiting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government.
The claims were made by Mustafa Okumuş, a former senior police official who previously led organized crime investigations in Turkey before leaving the country following his dismissal after the 2013 corruption probes. Through a series of videos published from Germany, where he now lives, Okumuş has alleged that senior state officials were involved in a range of covert activities, including intelligence operations, organized crime and influence campaigns.
Among his latest allegations is the claim that veteran journalist Ruşen Çakır, founder and chief executive of Medyascope, maintained a long-running relationship with Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
Alleged meetings with a senior intelligence official
According to Okumuş, Çakır was observed on several occasions meeting with Sebahattin Asal, a senior MIT operative who reportedly oversaw highly sensitive clandestine operations.
The alleged meetings reportedly took place in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş and Taksim districts while police were conducting an unrelated criminal investigation. Okumuş argued that the encounters were consistent with the handling of an intelligence asset rather than ordinary meetings between a journalist and a confidential source.
He further claimed that Çakır was later seen entering MIT’s Istanbul regional headquarters alongside another intelligence official. According to the allegations, the journalist appeared uncomfortable after being recognized by a police officer’s driver near the facility and allegedly attempted to explain his presence by saying he was heading to a nearby hotel.
No independent evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate these claims, and neither Çakır nor Turkish authorities immediately commented on the allegations.
Claims of media influence operations
Okumuş alleges that MIT has for years cultivated journalists capable of influencing public opinion while maintaining the appearance of editorial independence.
He argues that selected media figures were allegedly used to shape domestic narratives, support government messaging and conduct psychological operations targeting political opponents.
The allegations suggest that these activities formed part of a broader strategy aimed at strengthening the political position of President Erdoğan while limiting criticism of key government policies.
Longstanding allegations surrounding MIT
The accusations also revive previous controversies involving Sebahattin Asal, who has previously been linked by critics and investigative reports to several highly sensitive operations.
Among the allegations cited are claims connecting Asal to the events surrounding Turkey’s failed coup attempt in July 2016 and to the 2013 killings of three Kurdish activists in Paris. Turkish authorities have consistently rejected accusations of state involvement in unlawful overseas operations, while Asal has never publicly addressed many of the claims made against him.
The report further alleges that numerous journalists from various Turkish media organizations maintained links with MIT over several years, receiving intelligence briefings, operational guidance, and training in surveillance awareness.
Wider accusations against Turkish intelligence
According to the allegations, Turkey’s intelligence service has expanded its influence inside the country’s media landscape over the past two decades, embedding operatives under journalistic cover and recruiting reporters, editors and commentators as confidential assets.
The report also claims that legislative reforms introduced under Erdoğan’s government have significantly strengthened MIT’s legal protections, making investigations into intelligence personnel subject to presidential approval.
Critics argue that these legal changes have effectively shielded intelligence operations from judicial oversight, while Turkish authorities maintain that the reforms are necessary for national security.
No independent verification
The allegations originate primarily from statements made by former investigator Mustafa Okumuş and have not been independently verified.
Neither the Turkish government, MIT, nor Ruşen Çakır had issued a detailed public response at the time of publication.
If confirmed, the claims would raise significant questions about the relationship between intelligence agencies and the media in Turkey, as well as broader concerns regarding press independence and state influence over public discourse.