A confidential report drafted by Greek security authorities has warned about the activities of Turkish criminal groups operating in the country, pointing out the risk of their being used by foreign intelligence services for espionage, the Greek Kathimerini newspaper reported.
The authors of the multi-page report characterize the potential recruitment of criminals by espionage networks as an “escalating threat,” stressing that Turkish criminal networks operating in the country can be “effectively [used] by foreign state actors.”
The report warns that Turkish criminal groups can be leveraged by “politically motivated actors and intelligence services to carry out covert operations, such as conducting hybrid operations.”
Hybrid methods of warfare include propaganda, deception, sabotage and other non-military tactics, which are used to destabilize adversaries.
According to the report, members of Turkish criminal networks claim to be members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or the faith-based Gülen movement in order to apply for asylum in Greece.
The PKK, which has been waging a bloody war in Turkey’s southeast since 1984, is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, while the Gülen movement is not recognized as a terrorist organization by Western countries but rather only by Turkey and several of its allies.
The movement is accused by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government of masterminding a coup attempt on July 15, 2016, a claim strongly denied by the movement, thousands of whose followers have had to flee Turkey to avoid a government crackdown under the pretext of an anti-coup fight over the past eight years.
The report says criminal network members, in some cases, claim they are facing trumped-up charges in Turkey and seek asylum in Greece, lead a luxurious lifestyle, drive expensive cars and post their photos and videos on social networks.
These Turks mostly use properties rented through Airbnb – mainly in the center of Athens and East Attica – using fellow Turks residing in Greece, who have no issues with the judicial authorities, to complete the rental agreements.
“They are looking for synergies with Turks living in Greece or other countries of the European Union or the Western Balkans,” the secret report said, adding that the presence of Turkish criminals of Kurdish origin entails the risk of developing connections and contacts with people from the anarchist-anti-authoritarian space, who usually participate in solidarity initiatives for persecuted Kurds.
The report also warns of the risk of Greece becoming a sphere for settling accounts between rival groups of organized crime in Turkey, as happened in the case of the murder of six people last year.
Six members of an İstanbul-based Turkish criminal gang were found dead in Loutsa, a town in Attica, central Greece, in September 2023 in what was reported to have been revenge for the killing of a rival gang boss in Paris.
In a similar development, a 40-year-old Turkish national, allegedly a member of the Turkish criminal organization known as the “Hawks,” was arrested on the island of Chios by Greek authorities last week for carrying false Italian identification documents and for illegal gun possession.
In June a 22-year-old Turkish citizen was also jailed pending trial after killing another Turk and seriously injuring a third one in an attack in Greece, with police sources saying both victims were members of a criminal gang.
Turkey and Greece, NATO allies and historic foes, have long been at odds over maritime boundaries among other issues. In recent months, they have stepped up cooperation in many sectors including security.