New Report Details Turkish Mechanism Targeting IDF Soldiers

A new report from Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism reveals a systematic mechanism operating in Turkey to identify and prosecute Israeli soldiers who also hold Turkish citizenship. The operation involves scanning social media, mapping family connections, and identifying military unit affiliations. This intelligence is then passed to lawyers to file criminal complaints with Turkish authorities in Ankara.

The report highlights the central role of organizations like Freedom Watch Platform and WOLAS, which gather open-source intelligence and engage in legal warfare, aiming to convert personal information into official evidence for criminal proceedings. The network includes established organizations such as IHH and Al-Haq, alongside others like Al-Mezan and Mavi Marmara. The platform reportedly expanded its efforts against dual-citizen Israeli soldiers after its initial involvement in protests surrounding aid ships in 2024, collaborating with the legal department of the HÜDA PAR party and filing a lawsuit in March.

Further research from the ministry's research department indicates that hostility towards Israel and Jews is institutionalized in Turkey, originating from the education and religious systems and extending to the international legal arena. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli stated that Turkey, under President Erdoğan's regime, is using all available tools to harm Israel. He urged Israel to sever ties with the Erdoğan government and prepare for potential antisemitic incitement from Turkish education and leadership, as well as violent or terror-directed actions originating from Turkey, which he described as a new stronghold for Hamas command.

Ministry Director General Avi Cohen-Sokoli added that Erdoğan's antisemitic policy permeates all state institutions, leading semi-governmental organizations to pursue IDF soldiers with Turkish citizenship. He criticized Turkish institutions for pursuing these soldiers instead of addressing Hamas operatives active in their country.