Turkish Spy Chief Ibrahim Kalin Makes Secret Visit to Athens

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The head of Turkey’s intelligence service, Ibrahim Kalin, made a discreet visit to Athens last week, according to Greek newspaper Ta Nea, holding meetings with Greek officials and other figures without any public announcement.

Kalin, a longtime close associate and adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on foreign policy and security, reportedly met with Themistoklis Demiris, the director of Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP), as well as other Greek officials and figures.

The visit has raised questions about whether Kalin carried messages from Erdogan to the Greek side at a sensitive time for relations between the two countries.

The talks reportedly took place against the backdrop of disputes over planned maritime parks in the Aegean, the Greece-Israel defence agreement known as the “Achilles’ Shield”, and the “Mutual Defence Agreement of Mecca”, which Turkey signed in Istanbul August 7.

Turkish organised crime and migrant smuggling

According to Ta Nea, Kalin and his delegation discussed security issues with their Greek counterparts, including the presence in Greece of around 300 Turkish organised crime figures linked to approximately 15 criminal organisations.

The discussions also reportedly covered several Turkish nationals involved in organising migrant smuggling operations from the Turkish coast. Greek authorities estimate that five to seven key organisers have played a role in the networks, although migrant flows appear to have declined in recent months.

The two sides also discussed terrorism and espionage networks following the renewed escalation in the Middle East.

Greece and Turkey already maintain an established channel between their security and police authorities, including contacts and exchanges of visits by officials from both countries.

The reported meeting therefore appears to have addressed both bilateral security concerns and wider regional developments.

Who is Ibrahim Kalin?

Kalin has led Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation, known as MIT, since June 2023, when he succeeded Hakan Fidan, who became Turkey’s foreign minister. The organisation has an estimated 10,000 personnel.

A scholar and author specialising in Islamic philosophy, religion, history and international relations, Kalin studied in the United States, Turkey and Malaysia.

He became Erdogan’s chief foreign-policy adviser in 2009 and served as deputy undersecretary responsible for foreign relations and public diplomacy in 2012.

Erdogan also used Kalin as a special envoy during efforts to resolve the Turkey-Russia crisis after Turkey shot down a Russian military aircraft in 2015. In 2017, he took part in diplomatic efforts surrounding the crisis between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Erdogan’s trusted intermediary

Kalin’s broader record has added to speculation about the purpose of his Athens visit.

In September 2024, he travelled to Tripoli and met Libya’s prime minister, conveying Ankara’s position on resolving the Libyan crisis.

During 2024 and 2025, he also met members of Hamas’ political office as part of Turkish efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

Reuters previously reported that CIA Director William Burns contacted Kalin directly during the Iran-Israel crisis in 2024 and asked him to assist mediation efforts.

Kalin has also played a prominent role in Turkey’s position on Greece, Cyprus and maritime boundaries.

During the Eastern Mediterranean crisis in 2020, he publicly defended Ankara’s position on regional maritime zones. In early 2021, he described the renewed Greece-Turkey dialogue as an important step for bilateral relations and the balance in the Aegean.

At other times, however, Kalin has supported Erdogan’s tougher positions on Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey’s right to act in the region.

His reported secret visit to Athens therefore comes at a particularly sensitive moment, with security, defence and regional geopolitical issues placing Greece-Turkey relations under renewed scrutiny.

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