Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization
Jandarma İstihbarat ve Terörle Mücadele or Jandarma İstihbarat Teşkilatı (abbr. JİTEM or JİT; English: "Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism" or "Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization") is the intelligence department of the Turkish Gendarmerie. JİTEM was active in the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. After the Susurluk scandal, former prime ministers Bülent Ecevit and Mesut Yılmaz have confirmed the existence of JİTEM.
| Jandarma İstihbarat Teşkilatı (JİT) Jandarma İstihbarat ve Terörle Mücadele (JİTEM) | |
|---|---|
| Active | Late 1980s – present (unofficially, as JİTEM) 2005 – present (officially, as JİT) |
| Country | Turkey |
| Branch | Turkish Gendarmerie |
| Type | Intelligence agency |
| Role | Agent handling Black operation Clandestine operation Close-quarters combat Counterinsurgency Countersurveillance Counterterrorism Covert operation Criminal investigation Direct action Espionage Force protection HUMINT ISTAR Law enforcement Manhunt Military intelligence Mountain warfare Patrolling Raiding Reconnaissance Special operations Special reconnaissance Surveillance Tracking Urban warfare |
According to Murat Belge of Istanbul Bilgi University, who has reported that he was tortured in 1971 by its founder, Veli Küçük, JİTEM is an embodiment of the deep state. In other words, it is used by "the Establishment" to enforce alleged national interests. It is also said to be the military wing of Ergenekon, an underground Turkish nationalist organization. In 2008, long-maintained official denials of JİTEM's existence started collapsing in the courts, as ex-members of Turkey's "deep state" security apparatus testify to their participation in covert and illegal activities over the last few decades as part of the ongoing Ergenekon investigation.