New Report Alleges Growing Turkish Influence Operations in the U.S.
Nordic Monitor investigation traces a six-month funding cycle as Turkish lobbying expands from Capitol Hill to governors’ offices
Nordic Monitor reported that newly reviewed FARA filings show expanded Turkish-linked lobbying and nonprofit activity in Washington, including transfers to the TURKEN Foundation, a U.S. nonprofit tied to two Turkish charities closely linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s family.
According to the report, the funds came from TURGEV, which is run by Erdoğan’s son Bilal Erdoğan, and from the Ensar Foundation, which Nordic Monitor describes as Muslim Brotherhood-linked
The findings suggest that Turkey’s strategy operates on multiple levels, combining multimillion-dollar congressional lobbying contracts, political party activity funded from Ankara, and a newly signed $600,000 deal designed to extend influence into state and local governments nationwide.
The findings come as Laura Loomer claimed CIA sources told her Turkey has funded American podcasters to undermine U.S. policy — an allegation followed by a reported Turkish request that X remove her post. Nordic Monitor, citing a March 2026 CRS In Focus paper, said Turkey accounted for 105 foreign-agent registrations between 2001 and 2021.
What the New FARA Filings Reveal
FARA documents shows the Turken Foundation received $2 million during the six-month period ending November 30, 2025, transferred in multiple tranches of nearly half a million dollars each. The foundation spent $1.4 million on construction projects, student housing, communications infrastructure, and promotional materials disseminated through websites, social media platforms, email campaigns, and printed publications distributed to educational institutions and civic groups. The filing confirms these activities fall within FARA’s definition of “political activity” — meaning efforts to influence U.S. public opinion or government policy.
The report documents Turkey’s active lobbying contracts: $1.02 million with LB International Solutions LLC for congressional engagement and public relations to “improve Turkey’s image on Capitol Hill”; $1.54 million with Washington law firm Saltzman & Evinch for monitoring U.S. legislation and advising on policy developments; and a newly signed January 2025 contract with Skyline Capitol LLC for $600,000.
The Skyline contract marks a strategic evolution, tasking the firm with engaging governors, state legislators, and mayors nationwide, strengthening ties with Turkish-American business communities, and engaging think tanks and academic institutions — a shift from federal-only lobbying to “multi-level influence strategy embedded across multiple layers of the U.S. political and economic systems.”
Erdogan’s ruling AKP party maintains its own Washington entity, with FARA filings showing it received over $875,000 in wire transfers from AKP headquarters in Ankara between August and October 2025 to conduct “political, social and cultural activities” across America.
Alleged Turkish Influence Operation
On March 25, Laura Loomer alleged on X that CIA sources told her Turkey had funded podcasters to undermine the Trump administration’s Middle East agenda. Loomer later posted that X had notified her of a removal request from Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
While the allegation cannot be independently verified, Nordic Monitor argues it is “consistent with previously observed patterns” given Turkey’s “well-documented track record of covertly financing operations on U.S. soil, ranging from support for Muslim Brotherhood-linked networks to espionage activities targeting Erdogan critics.”
The Foundation’s Growing Asset Base
According to February 2026 reporting by Turkish Minute reviewing U.S. tax filings, the foundation’s assets rose from $24 million at its 2014 founding to $117.4 million in 2025. Furthermore, the organization reported over $50 million in spending in 2025, under FARA disclosures.
Data compiled by OpenSecrets from FARA filings shows Turken’s reported expenditures rose from $10.7 million in 2023 to $18.4 million in 2024 before jumping to $48.2 million in 2025. Combined transfers from TURGEV and Ensar channeled through Turken reached approximately $77.5 million between 2023 and 2025. According to the report, TURGEV is run by Erdogan’s son Bilal Erdogan, and the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Ensar Foundation. Bilal Erdoğan has also drawn growing succession speculation in recent reporting.
The foundation’s flagship asset is a 21-story luxury tower in Manhattan blocks from UN headquarters, described by Turkish media as comparable to a “seven-star hotel.” The completed building features 82 apartments with monthly rents from $1,300 to $3,000, commercial retail space, and VIP floors reserved for special guests. Turken also owns an 81-acre Michigan farm purchased from Muhammad Ali’s family for $2.5 million, whose purpose remains publicly undisclosed.
State-Level Lobbying: A Years-Long Strategy
A 2018 Center for Public Integrity investigation documented Turkish government lawyers requesting meetings with officials in 26 states and D.C., including governors, attorneys general, and influential legislators. Turkey retained Amsterdam and Partners LLP and hired Texas lobbyist Jim Arnold at $20,000 monthly to push state legislation. The firm attended school board meetings in California, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, and worked with Texas officials on charter school transparency bills.
An August 2025 Nordic Monitor report said a letter from Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described ‘coordination meetings’ with NGOs operating abroad and alleged that Turkish intelligence has used some NGOs for overseas influence and intelligence purposes. The same report said IHH, a Turkish aid organization active in 123 countries, has faced accusations of transporting arms and fighters to jihadist groups in Syria and Libya under humanitarian cover.
Looking Ahead
Turkey’s influence infrastructure appears to reflect a broad foreign-influence apparatus combining FARA-disclosed lobbying with nonprofit soft power, political party funding, state-level penetration, and alleged covert activities. The newly revealed $2 million in six-month transfers to an Erdogan family-controlled foundation, operating alongside a $117 million asset base and multimillion-dollar lobbying contracts, illustrates the scale of Ankara-linked spending in shaping U.S. policy discourse.