Universities become recruitment grounds for intelligence

The Turkish National Intelligence Organization’s (MIT) recruitment drive at universities such as Bogazici University has sparked fears of increased surveillance and the politicisation of educational settings, threatening the independence and trust within academic circles, reports MedyaNews.

MIT’s active recruitment, which openly promotes the prospect of an intelligence career with the slogan “We are everywhere in the homeland”, seeks to engage students from specific disciplines, emphasising qualities like initiative and emotional intelligence.

MIT’s recruitment campaign, extending into Turkish educational institutions, is perceived as part of a broader effort to bolster the agency’s public image, previously tarnished during the tenure of Hakan Fidan, now the foreign minister. The exclusive and somewhat secretive nature of these seminars, which require early applications due to limited availability, have been highlighted as a strategic push to deeply integrate intelligence operations into university life.
Full report on the MedyaNews site