The Swedish independent news platform Blankspot.se published a significant report on May 20, revealing that the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has allegedly listed Stockholm-based journalist Abdullah Bozkurt and his news platform Nordic Monitor as targets. Bozkurt, the editor-in-chief and co-founder of the platform, is reportedly among those identified by Turkish intelligence as persons to be “dealt with.”
According to a report by TR724, which is based on the Blankspot article, Swedish journalist Rasmus Canbäck recently investigated the case of fellow journalist Joakim Medin, who was released from Istanbul’s high-security Silivri Prison after 51 days in detention. The report suggests that Medin’s release may have been part of a secret intelligence and diplomatic agreement between Turkey and Sweden, possibly involving a quid pro quo arrangement.
An anonymous Swedish source, with long-standing ties to intelligence operations in the Middle East, told Blankspot that Turkey allegedly demanded Sweden take measures against certain individuals in exchange for Medin’s release. Among those named, the source said, was Abdullah Bozkurt, whose name reportedly came up frequently in meetings with Turkish counterparts.
Nordic Monitor Under Fire
Nordic Monitor, founded in 2019 by Abdullah Bozkurt and Levent Kenez, is known for publishing documented investigations into the increasingly authoritarian rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The platform particularly focuses on MIT’s espionage, surveillance, harassment, and tracking activities against dissidents abroad. As a result, it has increasingly become a target of Turkish authorities in recent years.
Official documents have revealed that Turkey formally requested the shutdown of Nordic Monitor during negotiations over Sweden’s NATO accession. On November 16, 2023, then-Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akçapar openly stated in the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee that shutting down the platform was part of the talks. Akçapar added that even after Sweden’s NATO membership was secured, efforts to silence the platform would continue.
Threats and Attacks Against Journalists
Bozkurt and Kenez have been subjected to years of systematic harassment by MIT as well as both pro-government and self-proclaimed opposition media outlets in Turkey.
Turkish pro-government media have falsely claimed that Bozkurt was behind the 2016 assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov, asserting that the attacker — a police officer with alleged ties to al-Qaeda — was directed by Bozkurt and even sheltered in his home. This claim was not included in the official indictment prepared by the prosecutor but has continued to be repeated in pro-government outlets.
In December 2016, pro-government commentator Cem Küçük stated on TGRT TV that Bozkurt’s address in Stockholm was known and that MIT should “eliminate” him. “Let’s be frank: we know where they live. If a few of them get a bullet to the head, let’s see what happens,” he said on air.
On January 15, 2021, Professor Dr. Mesut Hakkı Caşın — a national security and foreign policy advisor to President Erdoğan — directly targeted Bozkurt during a live broadcast on CNN Türk, saying: “MIT will find him. Whether he ends up with the fish or the sharks, I don’t know. But the fate of traitors is always the same.”
In September 2020, Bozkurt was assaulted by three unidentified men in front of his home in Stockholm. Following the attack, he was relocated to a protected address under Swedish law. Despite this protection, in October 2022, his address was allegedly leaked to the pro-government newspaper Sabah by MIT. Around the same time, covertly taken photographs of Levent Kenez were also published by Sabah.
International Condemnation
The Swedish Journalists’ Union (Journalistförbundet) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have strongly condemned Turkey’s demands to shut down Nordic Monitor. EFJ President Maja Sever described the situation as “dirty political blackmail aimed at silencing journalists.” The cases of Bozkurt and Kenez have also been raised with the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists.
Swedish Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard, in a press conference on May 17, denied claims that a “give-and-take” deal had been struck for Medin’s release. However, she did confirm the existence of intelligence cooperation between Sweden and Turkey.
