Turkish FM Fidan accuses Netanyahu and Mossad of encouraging Iran protests

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday accused Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency of encouraging anti-regime protests across Iran. Masses of Iranians have in recent days taken to the streets to protest the oppressive ayatollah regime and growing economic hardship.

“The Mossad is not hiding this,” the Turkish top diplomat claimed in an interview with Turkish television. “They are calling on the Iranian people to rise up against the regime through their internet and Twitter accounts."

A Persian-language account that is reportedly linked to Mossad, tweeted at the beginning of the protests: “We are with you, the protesters, everywhere.”

In a now-deleted tweet, the same account later claimed that “thousands of activists in the Basij militia and security forces have joined the protesters,” referring to the regime-loyal militia that has played a prominent role in the oppression of the Iranian people. 

The Turkish foreign minister also claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks Washington’s approval to ignite a wider regional conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

“Everyone knows Netanyahu has such a desire; it’s no secret,” Fidan argued without providing any credible evidence for this claim. 

The ayatollah regime openly calls for Israel's destruction and had built a now largely decimated ring of fire with Iran-backed terrorist proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas around Israel’s borders.

In addition, Iran built a vast ballistic missile arsenal and was, according to security experts, dangerously close to developing nuclear weapons.

In June 2025, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, which decapitated most of Iran’s military leadership and degraded much of Tehran’s missile and nuclear capabilities. 

Addressing Iran’s internal challenges, the Turkish foreign minister described the Iranian population as “dynamic and sophisticated.” Fidan especially noted that young Iranians are hungry for freedom and economic opportunities after decades of international sanctions and economic mismanagement by the ayatollah regime. 

While recognizing the hardships of the Iranian people, Fidan nevertheless argued that the widespread protests in Iran are affected by “external manipulation.” 

“Alongside the authentic reasons for protest, there is clear external manipulation by Iran’s adversaries,” Fidan stated, likely referring to Israel, the U.S. and possibly also some Sunni Arab states that feel threatened by the Iranian ayatollah regime. 

Fidan argued that regional stability could be achieved by reaching a negotiated agreement with the Iranian regime concerning its nuclear weapons program. He claimed that such a diplomatic path would neutralize what he termed “international cover” for potential new Israeli strikes on Iranian military targets. Iran has so far refused to give up its covert nuclear weapons program and missile arsenal. 

The Israeli military analyst Alon Ben-David recently criticized Mossad’s messaging about the Iranian unrest on social media. 

“The Mossad would be better served by operating more discreetly and tweeting less,” Ben-David argued in a column in the Israeli news outlet, Maariv. 

Bilateral relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated sharply since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 people from Israel in 2023. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has refused to condemn the Hamas atrocities against Israelis and even denied that Hamas is a terrorist organization with a genocidal ideology. Instead, Erdoğan has repeatedly demonized Israel for defending itself and accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. 

In March 2024, the Turkish leader openly compared Netanyahu with Hitler, the late leader of Nazi Germany, who was responsible for the Holocaust in which six million Jews were exterminated.  

“Netanyahu and his administration, with their crimes against humanity in Gaza, are writing their names next to Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin, like today’s Nazis,” Erdoğan said.

Last month, Turkey condemned Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as an independent country. 

“Preserving the unity and integrity of Somalia in all circumstances holds special importance in our view. Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland is illegitimate and utterly unacceptable to us,” Erdoğan said in December. 

Turkey has, at the same time, been among the most vocal proponents of unilaterally recognizing a “Palestinian state.”