Turkish intelligence highlights role in Syria and Gaza diplomacy

The head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), Ibrahim Kalin, has said Ankara has taken proactive measures to prevent new threats to its national security along the Syrian border.

In the introduction to MIT’s 2025 activity report, released on Tuesday, Kalın said the agency had adopted a comprehensive approach to developments in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2014.

He stated that Turkish intelligence had played an active role in addressing the Syrian crisis since its outset and had acted within the framework of efforts to build a new state structure in Syria.

“Proactive steps were taken to counter any new threats that might arise against our country in Syria,” Kalın said, adding that these measures had prevented the emergence of fresh risks to Turkey’s national security in its border regions.

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Turning to Gaza, Kalın said the war in the Strip had deeply affected the Middle East’s security architecture and had become a major humanitarian tragedy.

He added that MIT had engaged in intensive intelligence diplomacy with all relevant actors on issues including a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian aid, prisoner exchanges, Palestinian internal reconciliation and the two-state solution.

Kalın said the agency had acted as a bridge between parties to help overcome obstacles in ceasefire negotiations and had contributed to what he described as positive outcomes.

The Gaza war, which began in October 2013 and lasted two years, resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and widespread destruction, according to Palestinian sources. Although a ceasefire was reached in October 2015, sporadic violence and military operations have continued in the territory.

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