The Origins of the Gray Wolves
The Gray Wolves, a Turkish ultranationalist organization known formally as Ülkü Ocakları ("Idealist Hearths"), have long been a shadowy force in Turkey’s political and social landscape. Emerging in the late 1960s as the youth wing of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Gray Wolves became synonymous with far-right extremism, violence, and a fervent pan-Turkic ideology. Their history, however, extends beyond domestic politics into the murky waters of international intrigue, notably through their entanglement with Operation Gladio a clandestine NATO initiative designed to counter Soviet influence during the Cold War. This article explores the intricate relationship between the Gray Wolves, Operation Gladio, NATO, the CIA, and organized crime, revealing how these entities collaborated in a web of covert operations, political manipulation, and illicit activities. From the streets of Ankara to the heroin routes of the Middle East, this narrative uncovers a dark chapter of Cold War history where ideology, power, and profit converged, leaving a legacy that continues to resonate in Turkey and beyond.
The Gray Wolves were founded in the late 1960s under the leadership of Colonel Alparslan Türkeş, a towering figure in Turkish nationalism. Türkeş, a military officer with a history of far-right sympathies, established the group as the paramilitary youth arm of the MHP, which he led from 1969 until his death in 1997. The organization’s ideology was rooted in Turanism a pan-Turkic vision that sought to unite all Turkic peoples under a single banner, stretching from Anatolia to Central Asia. This vision was fiercely anti-communist, anti-Western in its purest form, and often violently opposed to ethnic minorities within Turkey, such as Kurds and Alevis. The Gray Wolves adopted the "Bozkurt" (Gray Wolf) as their symbol, drawing from Turkic mythology to signify strength, independence, and martial prowess. By the 1970s, the group had grown into a formidable force, attracting young recruits from universities and urban centres, where they clashed with leftist groups in a period of intense political polarization.
The Gray Wolves quickly gained notoriety for their violent tactics. During the 1970s, Turkey was gripped by a wave of political unrest, with left-wing and right-wing factions engaging in street battles, assassinations, and bombings. The Gray Wolves were at the forefront of this violence, targeting communists, trade unionists, and minority communities. One of their most infamous acts was the 1978 Kahramanmaraş massacre, where over 100 Alevis were killed in a brutal pogrom widely attributed to Gray Wolves militants. This period, often termed Turkey’s “Years of Chaos,” saw the group evolve from a political youth movement into a paramilitary organization, wielding significant influence in Turkey’s turbulent domestic sphere. Yet, their role was not confined to internal conflicts; their anti-communist fervour made them an attractive ally for external powers seeking to shape Turkey’s trajectory during the Cold War.
Operation Gladio: NATO’s Secret Armies
Operation Gladio emerged in the aftermath of World War II as a clandestine NATO initiative to prepare for a potential Soviet invasion of Western Europe. Conceived by the Western Union in 1948 and later integrated into NATO in 1949, Gladio involved the creation of "stay-behind" networks secret paramilitary units trained to conduct guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and espionage in the event of a communist takeover. While the Italian branch, codenamed "Gladio" (Latin for "sword"), became the most well-known, similar networks were established across NATO member states and even some neutral countries. The CIA, established in 1947, played a pivotal role in funding, training, and coordinating these operations, often in collaboration with European intelligence agencies. The overarching goal was to ensure that Western Europe remained a bulwark against Soviet expansion, even if it meant resorting to unconventional and ethically questionable methods.
Gladio’s Turkish Branch: The Counter-Guerrilla
In Turkey, Gladio took the form of the Counter-Guerrilla (Kontragerilla), a shadowy organization embedded within the Turkish military and intelligence apparatus. Established in the early 1950s under the Tactical Mobilization Committee (Seferberlik Taktik Kurulu), the Counter-Guerrilla was later tied to the Special Warfare Department (Özel Harp Dairesi) of the General Staff. Turkey’s strategic position bordering the Soviet Union and serving as a gateway to the Middle East made it a critical theatre for NATO’s anti-communist efforts. The Counter-Guerrilla was tasked with preparing for a Soviet invasion, but its mandate soon expanded to include domestic operations against perceived internal threats, particularly leftist movements. Trained by U.S. Special Forces (Green Berets) and equipped with hidden arms caches, the Counter-Guerrilla operated in secrecy, its existence only publicly acknowledged in 1973 by then Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit following a series of scandals.
The Gray Wolves’ alignment with the Counter Guerrilla was a natural extension of their shared anti-communist ideology. Alparslan Türkeş, a key figure in the Counter-Guerrilla’s early years, bridged the gap between the military and the ultranationalist movement. Having trained in the United States in 1948 as part of a CIA-backed program, Türkeş brought his expertise and connections to the MHP and its youth wing. The CIA and NATO saw the Gray Wolves as a valuable asset a ready-made militia that could be mobilized against leftist groups without direct Western involvement. Historical accounts suggest that the Counter-Guerrilla supplied the Gray Wolves with weapons, explosives, and training, often through intermediaries like CIA operatives and Turkish special forces. This collaboration transformed the Gray Wolves into a more disciplined and lethal force, capable of executing covert operations under the guise of nationalist fervour.
The partnership between the Gray Wolves and the Counter-Guerrilla manifested in numerous acts of violence and political destabilization. During the 1970s, the Gray Wolves were implicated in a series of assassinations, bombings, and massacres, many of which bore the hallmarks of Gladio’s "strategy of tension" a tactic designed to create chaos and justify authoritarian crackdowns. The 1980 military coup, led by General Kenan Evren a former head of the Counter-Guerrilla marked a pinnacle of this collaboration. Historians speculate that the coup, which resulted in widespread repression and the execution of leftist leaders, was engineered with the support of Gladio networks, including the Gray Wolves. The group’s role in attacking leftist strongholds and silencing dissent aligned with NATO’s broader objective of suppressing communism in Turkey, a key ally on the Soviet frontier.
NATO’s Role in the Gladio-Gray Wolves Nexus
Turkey’s inclusion in NATO in 1952 underscored its geopolitical significance. As a frontline state against the Soviet Union, Turkey hosted U.S. military bases, nuclear weapons, and intelligence operations, making it a linchpin in the Cold War. NATO’s oversight of Gladio ensured that the Counter-Guerrilla and its affiliates, including the Gray Wolves, operated within a framework that prioritized Western interests. The Allied Clandestine Committee (ACC), established in 1957 and later absorbed into NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), coordinated these stay-behind networks, providing a veneer of legitimacy to their actions. While NATO officially denied direct control over Gladio’s more controversial operations, declassified documents and testimonies suggest a high degree of complicity in the anti-communist campaigns that fuelled violence in Turkey.
NATO’s involvement with the Gray Wolves extended to the use of false flag operations attacks staged to appear as the work of leftist groups, thereby discrediting them and rallying public support for right-wing policies. The 1977 Taksim Square massacre, where snipers killed 34 people during a Labor Day rally, is often cited as an example of such tactics, with allegations pointing to Gray Wolves operatives acting under Counter-Guerrilla direction. These incidents mirrored Gladio’s activities in Italy, where bombings like the 1980 Bologna train station attack were blamed on communists to bolster anti-left sentiment. NATO’s tacit approval of these methods reflected a willingness to sacrifice democratic principles for strategic gains, a pattern that entrenched the Gray Wolves as a tool of Western policy in Turkey.
The CIA’s role in Operation Gladio and its Turkish offshoot was instrumental in shaping the Gray Wolves’ trajectory. Recognizing the group’s potential as an anti-communist force, the CIA cultivated relationships with key figures like Türkeş and his lieutenants. Individuals such as Ruzi Nazar, a Pan-Turkist and former SS member recruited by the CIA, were tasked with training and indoctrinating Gray Wolves members. Nazar’s background exemplifies the agency’s willingness to collaborate with ex-Nazis and far-right extremists to counter Soviet influence a practice that extended across Gladio’s European networks. This support included the provision of weapons, funding, and logistical assistance, often channeled through front organizations like Aginter Press, a CIA-backed outfit established in 1966 to train anti-communist militants.
Mehmet Ali Ağca and the Papal Assassination Attempt
One of the most sensational episodes linking the CIA, Gladio, and the Gray Wolves was the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II by Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Gray Wolves member. Ağca’s journey from a Turkish prison where he was serving time for murdering a leftist journalist to St. Peter’s Square in Rome was facilitated by a network of Gladio operatives and Turkish mobsters. Abdullah Çatlı, a senior Gray Wolves leader and Counter-Guerrilla operative, reportedly provided Ağca with fake IDs and safe passage across Europe. While the motive remains debated ranging from anti-communist propaganda to personal vendetta the incident highlighted the CIA’s indirect influence over the Gray Wolves’ international activities. The agency’s denials of involvement were met with skepticism, given its documented ties to Çatlı and other Gladio figures.
The Mob Connection: Drugs, Arms, and Power
The intersection of the Gray Wolves, Gladio, and organized crime came to light in the 1996 Susurluk scandal, a car crash that exposed the "deep state" in Turkey. Abdullah Çatlı, killed in the crash alongside a police chief and a politician, was revealed to be a linchpin in a nexus of ultranationalists, intelligence operatives, and mobsters. Çatlı’s career exemplified the Gray Wolves’ dual role as political enforcers and criminal entrepreneurs. Working with Turkish mafia bosses like Abuzer Uğurlu, Çatlı and his Gray Wolves associates smuggled NATO weapons to the Middle East, returning with heroin that flooded European and American markets. The Susurluk incident confirmed long-standing suspicions that the Counter-Guerrilla and its CIA backers tolerated or even facilitated this drug trade to fund covert operations, blurring the lines between state security and organized crime.
The Gray Wolves’ involvement in the drug trade was part of a broader Gladio strategy to finance anti-communist activities through illicit means. The "Balkan Route," a smuggling corridor from Turkey through Bulgaria to Western Europe, became a lifeline for heroin trafficking, with Gray Wolves operatives serving as couriers and enforcers. Italian magistrate Carlo Palermo’s investigations in the 1980s uncovered evidence of NATO weaponry machine guns, tanks, and helicopters being exchanged for drugs, a scheme that implicated Gladio networks across Europe. This unholy alliance between the CIA, NATO, the Gray Wolves, and the mob not only sustained covert operations but also contributed to the global narcotics epidemic, with profits funneled back into the deep state apparatus in Turkey and beyond.
The Gray Wolves’ entanglement with Gladio left an indelible mark on Turkey’s political landscape, giving rise to the concept of the "deep state" a clandestine network of military, intelligence, and ultranationalist elements operating beyond democratic oversight. The Ergenekon trials of the 2000s, which targeted alleged members of this network, exposed the enduring influence of Gladio’s Turkish legacy. While the trials were politically charged and controversial, they underscored the Gray Wolves’ role as a enduring force within Turkey’s power structure, often aligned with military and intelligence factions. The group’s activities in the 21st century, including support for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s nationalist policies, suggest that their Gladio-era roots continue to shape their identity and influence.
Gray Wolves & Geo Political tug of War
Proxy Role in the Turkish-Backed Free Syrian Army
Since the onset of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, the Gray Wolves have played a notable role in supporting Turkey’s military and political objectives. Turkey’s backing of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and other rebel factions against the Assad regime saw the Gray Wolves emerge as an ideological and logistical supporter. Members of the organization have been documented joining Turkish-backed paramilitary groups, particularly in northern Syria, where Turkey has established a sphere of influence. Their presence was especially pronounced during operations like the 2016 Euphrates Shield and the 2018 Olive Branch campaigns, aimed at curbing Kurdish expansion. Gray Wolves symbols, such as the "wolf salute," have been observed among fighters, signalling their alignment with Turkey’s nationalist agenda against the Kurdish YPG, which Ankara views as an extension of the PKK, a designated terrorist group. While not an official combat unit, their recruitment efforts and propaganda have bolstered Turkey’s proxy forces, often blurring the lines between state-sponsored militias and ultranationalist volunteers.
Anti-Kurdish Violence and Ideological Motivation
The Gray Wolves’ involvement in Syria is driven by their virulent anti-Kurdish stance, a core tenet of their ideology. In areas like Afrin, captured by Turkish forces in 2018, reports emerged of Gray Wolves affiliates engaging in intimidation and violence against Kurdish civilians. Their actions align with Turkey’s broader strategy to suppress Kurdish autonomy, reflecting a continuity of their domestic role in targeting Kurds during the 1970s and 1980s. This ideological fervour has made them a useful tool for Ankara, which has leveraged their zeal to project power in Syria without fully committing regular troops. However, their involvement has also drawn criticism from human rights groups, who accuse them of war crimes, including looting and ethnic cleansing, though concrete evidence tying specific acts to the organization remains anecdotal.
Support for Azerbaijan in the 2020 War
The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia marked a high point of Gray Wolves activity in the Caucasus. As a Turkic nation, Azerbaijan holds a special place in the Gray Wolves’ pan-Turkic vision, and their support for Baku was both symbolic and practical. During the 44-day war, Gray Wolves members were reportedly involved in mobilizing diaspora support in Turkey and Europe, organizing rallies, and even traveling to Azerbaijan to assist in the conflict. The "wolf salute" was prominently displayed by Azerbaijani soldiers and officials, including a notable instance during a military parade in Baku, underscoring the group’s ideological influence. Turkish media outlets linked to the MHP praised the Gray Wolves for their role in boosting morale, while unverified claims suggested some members fought alongside Azerbaijani forces, possibly facilitated by Turkish intelligence.
Diaspora Mobilization and Clashes in Europe
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict also spilled into Europe, where Gray Wolves-affiliated Turkish diaspora communities clashed with Armenian groups. In October 2020, a mob of 250 Turkish nationalists, openly identifying as Gray Wolves, marched through Lyon, France, targeting Armenians and defacing a genocide memorial with their slogans. This incident prompted France to ban the organization in November 2020, citing its incitement of violence and hate speech. Similar tensions flared in Germany and Belgium, where Gray Wolves supporters organized demonstrations, often met with counter-protests from Kurdish and Armenian communities. These events highlight the group’s ability to extend its influence beyond conflict zones, using diaspora networks to amplify Turkey’s geopolitical stance and intimidate perceived enemies.
The Gray Wolves’ influence in Europe is bolstered by their ties to Erdoğan’s AKP, which has allied with the MHP since 2018. This partnership has emboldened the group to act as an informal arm of Turkish policy, pressuring diaspora communities to align with Ankara’s interests. In Germany, Gray Wolves affiliates have infiltrated political parties like the CDU, as seen with figures like Zafer Topak, raising concerns about their influence on integration policies. Their actions, from organizing pro-Turkey rallies to targeting dissidents, mirror Erdoğan’s use of the diaspora as a soft power tool, though their extremism often complicates Turkey’s relations with European states.
In Europe, the Gray Wolves have been increasingly active in diaspora conflicts, particularly against Kurdish and Armenian communities. In March 2024, clashes in Limburg, Belgium, saw hundreds of Turkish nationalists, including Gray Wolves supporters, attack Kurdish families, using the "wolf salute" and attempting to burn homes. This violence, condemned by the Lemkin Institute, reflects a pattern of intimidation seen in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, where the group’s symbols and rhetoric have fuelled interethnic tensions. Austria banned the "wolf salute" in 2019, and the European Parliament in 2021 urged its inclusion on the EU terrorist list, though Germany home to an estimated 18,000–20,000 Gray Wolves supporters has resisted a full ban, citing legal complexities.
Gray Wolve’s Involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian War
The Gray Wolves’ activities in the Russo-Ukrainian War, particularly since Russia’s 2022 invasion, reflect their opportunistic alignment with Turkey’s complex foreign policy. While Turkey has officially maintained a neutral stance, providing drones to Ukraine while avoiding direct confrontation with Russia, the Gray Wolves have taken a more hawkish approach. In 2022, reports surfaced of Gray Wolves members traveling to Ukraine to fight alongside Ukrainian forces, motivated by anti-Russian sentiment rooted in their Cold War-era ideology and pan-Turkic solidarity with Crimean Tatars, a Turkic minority oppressed by Moscow. Though their numbers remain small likely in the dozens their presence has been amplified by social media, where they’ve posted images of the "wolf salute" on battlefields. This involvement, while unsanctioned by Ankara, underscores their independent agency in pursuing nationalist causes.
The Crimean Tatar Connection
The Gray Wolves have also leveraged the war to strengthen ties with Crimean Tatars, a cause they’ve championed since the 1990s. After Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, the group intensified its rhetoric against Moscow, organizing protests and fundraising for Tatar refugees in Turkey. Since 2022, they’ve used the conflict to renew calls for Tatar autonomy, aligning with Ukraine’s resistance to Russian occupation. This dual role fighting in Ukraine and advocating for Tatars demonstrates their adaptability, exploiting global conflicts to advance their pan-Turkic agenda while maintaining relevance in Turkey’s nationalist circles.
The relationship between the Gray Wolves, Operation Gladio, NATO, and the CIA reflects a broader Cold War pattern of proxy warfare and moral compromise. Turkey’s strategic importance has not diminished, as evidenced by ongoing tensions with NATO over its purchase of Russian S-400 systems and its military campaigns against Kurdish groups some of which involve Gray Wolves affiliates. The mob connections established during the Gladio era have evolved into modern trafficking networks, perpetuating a cycle of violence and corruption. This history serves as a cautionary tale about the unintended consequences of covert alliances, where short-term gains for superpower agendas can sow long-term instability in allied nations.
Conclusion
The Gray Wolves of Turkey and Operation Gladio represent a convergence of ultranationalism, Cold War geopolitics, and criminal enterprise, orchestrated by NATO and the CIA with the complicity of organized crime. From their origins as a militant youth group to their role as Gladio’s foot soldiers, the Gray Wolves embodied the West’s willingness to embrace extremist proxies in the fight against communism. Their collaboration with the Counter-Guerrilla, fuelled by CIA training and mob profits, facilitated a campaign of violence and subversion that destabilized Turkey while advancing NATO’s strategic goals. The Susurluk scandal and the papal assassination attempt are but glimpses into a shadowy world where ideology and illicit power intertwined. Today, the legacy of this nexus persists in Turkey’s deep state and the Gray Wolves’ enduring presence, a reminder of the complex and often troubling alliances that shaped the 20th century. Understanding this history is essential to grasping the forces that continue to influence Turkey and its place in the global order.
References
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2. Lee, Martin A. “On the Trail of Turkey’s Terrorist Grey Wolves.” Consortium News, 1997.
3. Söyler, Mehtap. The Turkish Deep State: State Consolidation, Civil-Military Relations and Democracy. Routledge, 2015.
4. Williams, Paul L. Operation Gladio: The Unholy Alliance Between the Vatican, the CIA, and the Mafia. Prometheus Books, 2015.
5. “The Susurluk Scandal.” Today’s Zaman, December 25, 2012 (archived).