A bombshell revelation has shaken Turkish politics: a leaked internal directive from the Erdogan government’s Directorate of Communications has exposed a state-sanctioned blueprint for psychological operations designed to manipulate public opinion, suppress dissent, and deflect attention from deepening scandals involving President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s inner circle.
The leaked document, reportedly authored by Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, lays out a systematic strategy for framing domestic and international crises as foreign plots, disinformation campaigns, and opposition conspiracies. The memo, cited publicly by Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgur Özel and verified by multiple Turkish media outlets, reads like a handbook for authoritarian information warfare.
Mafia, Money Laundering, and Murders
At the heart of the memo is an effort to reframe explosive allegations involving Halil Falyalı, a mafia-linked businessman murdered in 2022, whose financial networks reportedly laundered drug and betting profits across Cyprus, Turkey, and the UK with state backing. Claims from whistleblower Cemil Önal, Falyalı’s former accountant who accused Erdogan family members of participating in this criminal enterprise, were to be dismissed as “foreign intelligence plots” according to Altun’s directive.
The stakes escalated further when Önal was found shot dead in The Hague on May 1st, fueling suspicion of state-sanctioned silencing. Altun’s memo advised framing the killing as another “coordinated international smear” orchestrated by the Gülen movement.
Tactics of Suppression and Control
The memo’s reach extends far beyond scandal management:
- Following the Istanbul earthquake, Altun instructed media allies to praise AKP’s housing reforms while blaming the opposition CHP for stalling urban transformation.
- In response to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Altun urged pro-government voices to avoid political framing and focus instead on “illegality and corruption,” in what many view as a blatant attempt to neutralize Erdogan’s most formidable political challenger.
- The directive even sought to criminalize May Day labor protests in Taksim Square, branding worker organizations as extremist threats.
The Propaganda State Grows
Since its creation in 2018, the Directorate of Communications has morphed into a bloated propaganda ministry. Its budget has exploded from 344 million Turkish lira ($9.9 million) in 2019 to 6.1 billion lira ($175 million) in 2025, exceeding funding for national defense and education institutions. Its staff has grown nearly threefold to over 1,600 employees, many of whom are allegedly deployed to steer narratives online and across state-aligned media.
Altun, the architect of this information machine, is now a central symbol of Erdogan’s authoritarian media control. His influence spans Turkey’s press, foreign diplomacy, and even corporate boards. The leaked memo confirms what critics have long warned: Turkey’s state media apparatus is not merely dysfunctional—it is weaponized.
This memo is not just a smoking gun. It’s a declaration of disinformation war from within the palace walls.
