By Tarkan Tekten | Helsinki-TR724
Toni Alaranta, a senior researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) and an expert on Turkey, has made serious allegations on Finland’s public broadcaster Yle. Alaranta claimed that the Turkish government is conducting intelligence operations in Finland, stating, “Turkish intelligence officers sent to Finland are illegally monitoring their own citizens and the activities of Kurdish organizations here, and this is well-known.”
These claims are further supported by documents that have occasionally surfaced in private social media groups. The documents are allegedly prepared by the Turkish Embassy, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Turkish Ministry of Interior, or the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and are used to profile individuals deemed dangerous by the Turkish regime.
Recently, the arrest of a Finnish citizen of Iranian origin in Turkey, accused of working for the PKK and holding a leadership position, has become a major topic of discussion in Finland. The arrest has sparked debates in Finnish media and among the public. The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far avoided making a definitive statement, saying only that it is monitoring the situation closely. The Ministry also pointed out that the PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by both the EU and the US.
In a statement, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (SUPO) acknowledged that it monitors PKK activities in Finland. According to SUPO’s national terror threat assessment, the PKK poses a low-level threat in Finland. SUPO views the PKK as a non-violent, far-left organization, with most of its activities focused on fundraising and influencing public opinion.
While SUPO declined to comment directly on Alaranta’s allegations, it confirmed that it actively monitors and counters foreign intelligence operations within Finland.
