Kaan Esener, a former ambassador and previous permanent representative of Turkey at the Council of Europe who ran a worldwide spying campaign against critics and opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in nearly 100 countries, was appointed head of the General Directorate for International Law at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week.
It was revealed In documents that surfaced in 2018 bearing the signature of Esener that diplomats posted to Turkey’s foreign missions were involved in spying on Erdogan’s critics.
Then-deputy undersecretary Esener had intelligence notes that had come through the ministry’s Security and Research Directorate distributed to the Ministry of Justice, the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and relevant departments of the Security Directorate General. The distribution was intended for the purpose of initiating additional administrative or legal measures against individuals who had been profiled, punishing their relatives in Turkey and seizing their assets. According to these documents, thousands of citizens faced terrorism charges in legal proceedings.
Secret documents from the foreign ministry obtained by Nordic Monitor provide evidence that Turkish diplomatic and consular missions around the world have been systematically involved in monitoring individuals critical of President Erdogan. They also gathered information on Turkish citizens living in other countries, which was then transmitted to authorities at home.
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