Grey Wolves: Death squads from Syria to Libya under auspices of Erdogan

Amira Sherif

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan still seeks to fulfill his dream of strengthening Turkey and restoring the Ottoman Empire in the east and securing it militarily, announcing the establishment of a new entity a hundred years after the Treaty of Lausanne reduced the size of the Turkish Empire in 1923, by supporting the religious militia project against the principle of the regular national army, which Erdogan is doing now in Libya. Syria’s Hawar News Agency (ANHA) revealed how Erdogan has used the Grey Wolves paramilitary group in Libya to achieve his ambitions and dreams in the region, noting that this organization is the unofficial militant arm of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) headed by Devlet Bahceli, Erdogan’s ally.

The Grey Wolves, formally known as Ülkü Ocakları, was formed in the 1960s and is classified as an ultra-nationalist neo-fascist group.

The paramilitary movement has been engaged in major terrorist operations since its formation, such as the killing of 100 Alevi Turks in 1978, and its involvement in the Taksim Square massacre in 1977, which killed 126 people, in addition to being accused of trying to assassinate late Pope John Paul II.

In the 1990s, the Grey Wolves focused its operations on the Kurds, as it participated in battles against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in eastern Turkey.

The movement believes in the ethnic superiority of the Turks and seeks to restore their glories and history and to unify the Turkish peoples in one country. It is very hostile to other ethnicities, such as the Kurds, Greeks and Armenians.

A report titled “Grey Wolves from Syria to Libya: Death squads in Erdogan’s service” mentioned that the organization works to manage Turkish operations in Libya, noting that a source in the Libyan National Army (LNA) previously confirmed that a Turkish intelligence officer named Fatih Inal Tarkan and his companion, Maher Mustafa Pasha, are the two main officials responsible for most of the mercenary and extremist movements, and they are joined by more than 18 officers of varying ranks, including Khalil Sosyal, Irfan Ossert, General Levent Arjun, Gursal Brigade, Chibinar, Seljuk Yavuz Brigade, Canal, Kai Altindag, Bolt Kutsal, Githan Utqo, Azzedine Yathilurt, Amir Muradli, Hamad Husamuddin Yaguri, Sahan Eden, Archin Timon, Bakir Eden, Recep Bolt, and Soleyman Anca.

The report pointed out that Tarkan is described as the secret to the military developments in Libya and the most mysterious and dangerous figure there, pointing out that his most prominent Syrian Turkmen friend is Maher Mustafa Pasha, who is the mercenary leader of the Muntasir Billah Brigade, one of the Turkmen militias.

ANHA stated that Pasha, who is close to the Turkish intelligence service, is accused of launching military operations in direct coordination with the latter and organizing the Grey Wolves in the city of Afrin. He is the primary figure responsible for sending 300 mercenaries per month to Libya from Syrian factions, in accordance with a three-month agreement he signed with the Turkish intelligence under Tarkan’s supervision. The report noted that Pasha assigned the Turkmen Samarkand Brigade to kidnap children under the age of 18 and send them to fight in Libya.

According to the report, Ankara has clearly changed the method of work of its advisers, including military and intelligence figures in Libya, in recent weeks. Turkey has adopted plans, which Tarkan has implemented with great professionalism, which depend on communication and coordination with the leaders of armed groups behind the back of Government of National Accord (GNA) leader Fayez al-Sarraj.

Turkey’s interventions and the transfer of Syrian mercenaries and weapons to Libya under Erdogan’s auspices are raising the ire of the international community, which has repeatedly condemned the Turkish interference.

Turkey sends weapons and Syrian mercenaries to Libya to support the GNA, which is supported by militias and terrorist groups. Ankara uses its military ships located off the Libyan coast to attack Libyan territory and serve Turkey’s interests and dubious goals.