Armenian intel veteran, academic profile Turkish FM Fidan as possible Erdoğan successor in new book
A new book published in Russia examines the profile of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is described by its authors as a central figure in Turkish politics and a potential successor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to the Medyagunlugu.com news website.
Titled “Hakan Fidan: Toward the Portrait of Turkey’s Possible Future President,” the book was co-authored by retired Armenian intelligence colonel Gevorg Minasyan and Armenian Turkologist Angela Simonyan.
It was launched at Moscow’s Biblio-Globus bookstore on April 21, attracting interest from academic and diplomatic circles.
The authors state that their book attempts to decode the “identity code” of Fidan, a former head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) who now serves as the country’s top diplomat.
Based on open-source research, the book traces Fidan’s biography and career, including his master’s thesis comparing intelligence structures in Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Minasyan, who served in Armenia’s National Security Service from 1996 to 2022 and represented Armenia at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Anti-Terrorism Center, said he began tracking Fidan’s career as early as 2011.
He dedicated the book to his late colleague and friend, Karen Parunakyan, an Armenian intelligence officer who focused on Turkish intelligence services. According to Minasyan, Parunakyan was the first to flag Fidan as a figure whose rise in Turkish politics deserved close monitoring.
“It’s rare to find detailed information on former intelligence chiefs,” Minasyan said at the launch event.
He characterized Fidan as someone with a methodical approach to diplomacy, citing his outreach to groups like Hamas and his calm decision-making style, which Minasyan attributed to Fidan’s intelligence background. He added that despite Fidan’s broad international engagements, “He always protects the interests of the Republic of Turkey.”
Simonyan, a graduate of Yerevan State University’s Faculty of Oriental Studies and a specialist in Turkey’s military-industrial complex, said Fidan’s appointment as foreign minister marked a new phase in Ankara’s foreign policy.
“He stepped out of the shadows and began strengthening Turkey’s defense partnerships and strategic autonomy,” she said.
The book also includes commentary by retired Russian intelligence officer and Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) professor Andrey Bezrukov, political scientist Aleksandr Svarants and a foreword by retired intelligence colonel and Turkey analyst Alexander Poltavskiy.
At the launch event, DIALOG Book Series founder Yuriy Navoyan — described by Medyagunlugu.com as a prominent figure in Russia’s Armenian community — emphasized the book’s geopolitical relevance.
“This analytical study is timely,” Navoyan said. “Turkey holds a critical position in both regional and global affairs. Understanding the individuals shaping its foreign policy is of great interest, especially to Russian and Armenian researchers and officials. What are the implications of their decisions? How might they affect Turkey’s relations with the South Caucasus, Middle East, Central Asia, Balkans and North Africa? The book addresses these questions.”
Political analyst Andrey Areshev, another speaker at the event, highlighted Fidan’s role during the Syrian conflict, noting that under his leadership Turkish intelligence played a direct role in ceasefire negotiations and regional power shifts between 2014 and 2015.
