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Turkish FM Fidan reveals assassination attempt with arsenic and mercury poisoning

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan takes part in a family photo after the “Antalya Ministerial Meeting for a Two-State Solution and Lasting Peace in the Middle East” meeting at the Cornelia Diamond Hotel in Antalya, Türkiye on April 11, 2025. (AA Photo)
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan takes part in a family photo after the “Antalya Ministerial Meeting for a Two-State Solution and Lasting Peace in the Middle East” meeting at the Cornelia Diamond Hotel in Antalya, Türkiye on April 11, 2025. (AA Photo)
May 10, 2025 12:20 AM GMT+03:00

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan revealed for the first time that he was the target of an assassination attempt involving arsenic and mercury poisoning four to five years ago.

Speaking during a live broadcast on 24 TV, Fidan said, “I was given high doses of arsenic and mercury. It happened somewhere, and was later detected in tests.”

Fidan, who served as the head of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) from 2010 to 2023, made the disclosure in response to questions from journalist Murat Cicek. He recalled that he and his family have been subjected to years of smear campaigns led by what he described as proxies for terrorist groups and organized crime networks.

Character assassinations became major threat: Fidan

“In today’s world, threats are more often carried out as character assassinations rather than physical ones,” Fidan said. “There have always been efforts to discredit us in the eyes of the public.”

He condemned opposition parties for allegedly repeating narratives created by terrorist organizations and criminal syndicates, calling it “the lowest point politics has reached.”

While discussing his experience, Fidan confirmed that he had indeed been physically targeted in addition to enduring a decade of public defamation.

“I was poisoned and received treatment,” he said. “Beyond that, I’ve been constantly subjected to character assassination. It’s part of this struggle.”

Fidan said the poisoning incident occurred four or five years ago and was only discovered through medical testing. “I was given heavy arsenic and mercury. It happened somewhere, and was only detected through tests,” he repeated.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends the informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers, known as the Gymnich in Warsaw, Poland on May 8, 2025. (AA Photo)
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends the informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers, known as the Gymnich in Warsaw, Poland on May 8, 2025. (AA Photo)

'It’s part of the duty'

When asked who was behind the assassination attempt, Fidan declined to name individuals or groups. “Let’s not get into those details,” he said. “This goes beyond domestic threats. Enemies are everywhere.”

He concluded with a firm message of resilience: “These attempts won’t stop me. We are here to serve this homeland. They will attempt both character and physical assassinations — it’s part of the duty.”

May 10, 2025 12:18 AM GMT+03:00
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