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OSCE appoints Erdogan loyalist as Secretary General

2024-12-19 11:41:55Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
OSCE appoints Erdogan loyalist as Secretary General
Feridun Sinirlioglu

A figure closely linked to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been appointed Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Feridun Sinirlioğlu, a career diplomat with a controversial history, including holding secret negotiations with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and advocating for a fake operation in Syria to justify an armed invasion, was appointed OSCE Secretary General on 6 December 2024.

Sinirlioğlu was not on the first list of main candidates proposed by Malta, the current OSCE chairman-in-office, earlier this year. The main candidate for the position was Igli Hasani, Albania's foreign minister and an OSCE internal expert, who had won the support of the majority of member states.

However, internal political squabbles among member states, exploiting the OSCE’s unanimity requirement for decision-making, prevented Hasan from emerging as a unified candidate. Surprisingly, Turkey, with the support of Greece, which appointed Greek Maria Telalian as Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) – led candidate Sinirlioğlu to victory.

Russia, which traditionally has significant influence within the OSCE, chose to support the Turkish candidate, returning the "honor" for Ankara's decision to abstain on Western sanctions against Russia and the fact that Turkey has bypassed financial and economic restrictions on Turkish territory.

Although the OSCE no longer has the same influence on European affairs as it once did and has faced increasing pressure from some member states, it still has significant influence in observing elections, monitoring press freedoms, and protecting the rights of national minorities.

Although the position of Secretary General in the OSCE requires neutrality and independence, the profile of the Secretary General can nevertheless influence the organization's operations. 

His background raises significant concerns about the role he could play as OSCE Secretary General. He has proven to be more of a political and partisan operative than a career diplomat, often prioritizing political interests over traditional principles of diplomatic engagement.

In Erdogan's government, he has often been accused of nepotism and misuse of funds.

In 2014, Sinirlioğlu was involved in a plot involving the deliberate surrender of the Turkish Consulate General and consulate staff in Mosul to ISIS, resulting in them being held hostage by ISIS. This move was part of a strategy to facilitate negotiations with ISIS, leading to the release of ISIS prisoners from Turkish prisons and financial benefits from smuggled oil.

Sinirlioğlu has a long history of orchestrating covert operations for Erdogan, including discussions in 2014 about a fake operation to justify a military invasion of Syria. His involvement in such operations highlights a consistent pattern of using covert tactics for political and financial gain.

Sinirlioğlu has advocated a military invasion of Syria, while Feridun suggested ways to fabricate a pretext, saying: "If necessary, I would send four men to Syria. [Then] I would have them fire eight mortar shells at the Turkish side and create an excuse for war."

However, the military resisted this idea until 2016, when Erdogan's government purged almost all NATO officers who opposed the war in Syria after a failed coup attempt, which was widely considered a fake operation.

The role of OSCE Secretary General gives Sinirlioglu unique access to leaders and institutions at the national, regional and international levels, positioning him to gather intelligence on behalf of the Erdogan government and potentially influence decisions behind closed doors.


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