The report examines the scale, mechanisms, and strategic objectives of Russian propaganda and influence operations targeting Turkey. It argues that Moscow treats the information domain as an integral component of its hybrid toolkit, designed to weaken Western cohesion, legitimise its aggression against Ukraine, and build favourable political and societal environments abroad. Turkey occupies a unique position in this strategy: as a NATO member, a significant regional power and a key economic partner—especially in the energy and tourism sectors—it is simultaneously a competitor, a pragmatic interlocutor and a potential lever weakening NATO unity.
The analysis identifies the main Russian instruments of influence operating in Turkey, including Rossotrudnichestvo and its “Russian House” in Ankara, the state-controlled media ecosystem (notably Sputnik Türkiye), and networks of culturally or ideologically aligned intermediaries. The report demonstrates how these channels promote carefully calibrated narratives that depict Russia as a rational, predictable partner, while amplifying anti-Western sentiment, discrediting Ukraine, distorting the origins and course of the war, and exploiting sensitive incidents to exacerbate tensions between Turkey and Western allies.
At the same time, the study explores the domestic Russian dimension, highlighting how Turkish TV series—widely popular in Russia—serve as a soft-power bridge, shaping positive perceptions of Turkey within Russian society and, thereby, indirectly supporting Moscow’s broader diplomatic agenda.
The report concludes that Russian information activities, if left unaddressed, may undermine Turkey’s alignment with NATO, deepen Ankara’s structural dependencies—especially in the energy sector—and reinforce Moscow’s long-term objective of fragmenting Western unity. It recommends comprehensive efforts to strengthen resilience, expose disinformation, support accurate war reporting, and reinforce allied coordination in countering Russian influence.
