The Levant Files

The ongoing political turmoil within the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has reached a critical juncture, with new developments finally confirming the intelligence previously released by The Levant Files. Reporting for the Turkish media outlet Nefes, journalist Tarık Işık has validated that the team surrounding the recently removed CHP leader, Özgür Özel, is actively laying the groundwork for a new political movement—a maneuver long anticipated by observers tracking the internal collapse of the party. The shift follows the court-ordered removal of Özgür Özel and the subsequent reinstatement of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as CHP chairman—a decision that has effectively gridlocked the opposition. As legal channels to retain his position within the CHP become increasingly constrained, Özel’s inner circle is finalizing contingency plans, signaling that the formation of an alternative entity is no longer just a rumor, but a strategic reality. Beyond the "Leftist" Label A significant detail...

By Muhittin Ataman The U.S.-Iran deal shaped regional dynamics with the rise of a constructive regional bloc and disruptive Israel resisting the shift Iran and the United States signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding on June 17 to end the war. The memorandum is a 14-point framework agreement that envisages the end of military strikes, opening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels, and the extension of the ceasefire. Unfortunately, the memorandum does not settle major issues between the two sides, including Iran’s nuclear program, the regime of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian ballistic missile program, and Iran’s network of non-state actors in the region. Pakistan has brokered the deal; Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar have played facilitator roles in the negotiations. It was a great success, because it was the first agreement signed between Iran and the U.S. since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979. It seems that the two sides of the agreement, Iran and the U....

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus, long known as a peaceful holiday destination, has quietly transformed into a high-stakes arena for intelligence operations and shadow warfare. According to well-informed sources within The Levant Files, Israeli authorities have significantly intensified their monitoring of the island, identifying it as a critical theater for tracking regional threats. This shift reflects a broader geopolitical reality: the Republic of Cyprus—and the complex security environment of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)—has become a focal point for Iran, its proxies, and Israeli counter-intelligence efforts. The Operational Theater Security sources indicate that the primary focus of Israeli intelligence services lies in detecting Palestinian and pro-Palestinian interest groups, as well as tracking Iranian assets operating across the island. The assessment suggests that these actors are attempting to utilize Cyprus as a staging ground for multidime...

A high‑level international meeting on Gaza’s future is set to take place at a resort in Cyprus in late June 2026, as the United States‑led “Gaza Board of Peace” seeks to revive a stalled plan for governance and reconstruction in the territory.  The gathering, expected within days of June 23–24, will bring together representatives from the Board of Peace alongside Palestinian officials and international coordinators. It is being described by participants as a crucial opportunity to “reset” and “recalibrate” efforts after six months of limited progress since the initiative’s launch earlier this year. The Board of Peace, established under a US‑backed framework in January 2026, is tasked with overseeing Gaza’s transition from conflict to reconstruction. Its mandate includes establishing a technocratic Palestinian administration to replace Hamas governance, advancing demilitarisation, and coordinating large‑scale international investment in rebuilding infrastructure. Despite initial opt...

A fierce and increasingly intelligence war is unfolding between Israel and Turkey, transforming the bustling streets of Istanbul into a primary battleground for rival spy agencies. In a dramatic escalation of covert hostilities, both nations have recently pulled back the curtain on extensive espionage networks operating within each other's spheres of influence, highlighting a deepening strategic rivalry that extends far beyond traditional diplomatic friction. Israel Exposes Hamas Command in Turkey The latest salvo in this shadow war came on June 21, when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet (Israel’s internal security agency) jointly unveiled a sweeping intelligence operation targeting Hamas operatives based in Turkey.  According to Israeli authorities, the exposed network consists of senior Hamas figures who have been utilizing Turkish soil to direct, fund, and orchestrate military actions against targets in Israel and the West Bank. The Shin Bet identified five key op...

Iranian and Persian-language media over the last 12 hours have described the latest U.S.-Iran discussions as moving forward, but the dominant tone is not one of breakthrough or reconciliation. Instead, the coverage suggests a more cautious reality: Tehran is willing to call the talks productive, yet it is signaling clearly that trust is still in short supply and that any real progress will be judged by American follow-through, not diplomatic language.  That tension runs through nearly all major Iranian coverage. On one hand, official and semi-official outlets say the negotiations have advanced into a technical and implementation-focused phase. ISNA reported that technical talks in Switzerland ended with agreement on arrangements for the next stage, while Mehr said the talks had concluded with the broader deal still advancing. Both portray the process as active and structured rather than stalled or symbolic. Yet the same sources frame the talks less as a diplomatic reset than as a t...

Belgian judicial authorities have issued a European arrest warrant for former European Commissioner and current Greek MP Dimitris Avramopoulos, marking a major new turn in the long-running Qatargate investigation and pushing one of Greece’s most senior political figures into the centre of the scandal. The move, reported on Monday by multiple European and Greek outlets, is linked to the Belgian investigation into alleged corruption and influence-peddling networks surrounding the European Parliament. Belgian prosecutors are also seeking the lifting of Avramopoulos’ parliamentary immunity, a step required before any arrest or further judicial action can proceed in Greece. Avramopoulos, a former EU Commissioner for Migration and one of the most recognisable figures in Greek politics, has rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing. In a public response, he described the case as “completely unfounded,” insisted that he would not hide behind parliamentary immunity, and said he would personally req...

Behind the scenes of Israel’s new Mossad shake‑up lies a delicate triangular game: Washington wants to keep Turkey inside the NATO fold, Ankara wants to curb Kurdish autonomy at all costs, and Israel sees Kurdish unrest inside Iran as a low‑cost lever to pressure Tehran’s regime. That three‑way tension is now shaping how Mossad’s new director, Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, is reconfiguring covert operations aimed at toppling the Islamic Republic. Gofman, the first outsider to lead Israel’s premier spy agency since 2011, assumed office on June 2, 2026, after a contentious High Court battle over his appointment, and has since moved aggressively to sideline veterans loyal to his predecessor David Barnea while bringing in a cadre of outside advisers to reshape Mossad’s Iran policy. The Jerusalem Post reported that Gofman has already pushed out Barnea’s deputy and installed his own team, signaling a break with the previous leadership’s cautious, insider‑driven approach. His arrival coincides with...

Fresh diplomatic and political movement has revived speculation that the long-shuttered Theological School of Halki near Istanbul may finally reopen. But despite the sudden burst of optimism, the evidence from the past month points to a narrower conclusion: there is movement, but there is still no formal decision to reopen the school. The latest momentum gathered pace in mid-June, when Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara and discussed the future of the seminary, one of the most symbolically charged issues in relations between the Patriarchate and the Turkish state. According to statements carried by the Patriarchate and Greek media, the discussion took place within an ongoing dialogue involving Turkey’s Education Ministry, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  That meeting was followed by a more consequential report on June 21, when Reuters said Erdoğan had instructed officials to resume talks on re...