{"id":275375,"date":"2026-09-02T18:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T18:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/275375\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T18:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T18:35:11","slug":"turkish-authorities-methodically-target-idf-soldiers-israeli-studies-reveal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/275375\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish authorities methodically target IDF soldiers, Israeli studies reveal"},"content":{"rendered":"

New studies examining what they described as Turkey\u2019s use of antisemitism<\/a> as a tool for diplomatic attacks against Israel, including efforts to incriminate Israeli soldiers through false allegations of \u201cwar crimes,\u201d were released by the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry on Wednesday<\/p>\n

The studies published by the ministry found that the WOLAS and Freedom Watch Platform organizations, which allegedly operate as \u201ccivil society\u201d groups, use advanced open-source intelligence (OSINT) systems to identify IDF soldiers<\/a> and civilians holding dual citizenship. According to the ministry, these systems are used to pursue legal action against them with the knowledge of the Turkish government.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn recent years, Turkey has established a state mechanism in which antisemitism, delegitimization and legal warfare against Israelis are carried out at high intensity as part of an organized and predetermined policy of the country\u2019s leadership and institutions,\u201d the ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Research Division at the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry<\/a> reveals in its studies that the mechanism is rooted in the education and religious systems through to organizations operating in the international arena against IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens and accusing them of war crimes,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n

The studies describe what the ministry called a consistent process of institutionalizing antisemitism within the Turkish government. They also outline how Turkey, under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has transformed hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people from a political message into a broader governmental framework that extends across state institutions.<\/p>\n

\"TurkishTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a bilateral meeting on September 1, 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (credit: Contributor\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

According to the studies, the Turkish government is not limiting its actions to media campaigns against Israel, but is also using non-governmental organizations to target Israeli citizens who hold Turkish citizenship and attempt to incriminate them through false allegations of committing \u201cwar crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ministry identified two Turkish organizations, WOLAS and Freedom Watch Platform, which it said maintain ties with terrorist organizations, including Hamas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

OSINT, including Israeli websites, used to identify soldiers, build evidence\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ministry said the groups operate open-source intelligence systems to identify individuals, including through Israeli websites, and build evidence files intended to advance legal proceedings against Israelis with Turkish citizenship. The ministry also said it sends the findings to international courts in The Hague.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe connections between the Turkish government, civil society and legal warfare create a new model of action against Israel, which is not limited to the arena of public diplomacy, but attempts to influence legal systems, international institutions and public opinion around the world,\u201d the ministry said.<\/p>\n

The ministry\u2019s studies describe the two organizations as parts of the same system: The Turkish state promotes an antisemitic and anti-Israel narrative, while organizations operating in Turkey translate that narrative into practical efforts against Israelis in the international arena.<\/p>\n

One of the sections of the reports that the ministry described as particularly concerning details the methods used by Freedom Watch Platform. According to the reports, activists use open-source intelligence to locate Israelis who also hold Turkish citizenship and previously served in the IDF.<\/p>\n

The first stage is identification. The organization monitors social media followers and posts, particularly on pages associated with the Jewish community in Turkey. After identifying a \u201ctarget,\u201d activists map the person\u2019s family and social connections.<\/p>\n

Activists analyze photos for IDF indicators, unit affiliations<\/p>\n

The activists then analyze photographs and other materials posted online to identify military indicators, IDF unit affiliations, and details related to military service. The next stage involves publishing the individual\u2019s information online and transferring the material through lawyers the file complaints with Turkish authorities.<\/p>\n

The report also presents a case study from February 2026 involving a former female soldier who holds Israeli and Turkish citizenship. According to the documents, activists located her through online posts, including one her mother published on the day she enlisted in the IDF.<\/p>\n

The activists later analyzed photographs of her in an attempt to identify her military affiliation, mapped additional family members serving in the IDF, and ultimately published her details and filed a complaint.<\/p>\n

Freedom Watch Platform did not begin its activity solely as an organization focused on IDF soldiers. According to documents from the ministry\u2019s Research Division, the group emerged from a protest at an Istanbul port over the detention of a Gaza aid ship in 2024.<\/p>\n

The platform later became a venue for delegitimization efforts against Israel, including campaigns targeting Israeli companies. Over time, the focus of its activity shifted from the State of Israel and Israeli companies to individual Israelis.<\/p>\n

In February, the issue of IDF soldiers holding Turkish citizenship was brought before parliament for discussion. During February and March, the group was described as cooperating with H\u00dcDA PAR, including through involvement by the party\u2019s legal department.<\/p>\n

On March 7, a lawsuit was filed against Turkish citizens with dual citizenship who had served in the IDF, after the IDF published information in February about soldiers holding foreign citizenships. According to the report, the platform increased its efforts to specifically identify and expose soldiers holding Turkish citizenship.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurkey under Erdogan\u2019s dictatorial and Islamist regime is using every tool at its disposal to harm the State of Israel as much as possible,” said Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli. “Israel must cut all ties with the Erdogan regime and understand that at some point we must prepare for wild antisemitic incitement in the Turkish education system and leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Director-General Avi Cohen Scali accused Erdogan of “leading an antisemitic policy toward the State of Israel, and this directive is filtering down into all state institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, semi-governmental organizations are pursuing IDF soldiers with Turkish citizenship,” he said. “Instead of dealing with and arresting Hamas terrorists operating freely in their country, Turkish institutions are promoting activity against the State of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New studies examining what they described as Turkey\u2019s use of antisemitism as a tool for diplomatic attacks against…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":275376,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[33],"tags":[10778,2492,15034,5143,66377,18790,423,37,2377,1176],"class_list":["post-275375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-amichai-chikli","tag-antisemitism","tag-antizionism","tag-diaspora","tag-diaspora-ministry","tag-erdogan","tag-idf","tag-israel","tag-soldiers","tag-turkey"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/117202893419612774","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/275376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}