Ibrahim Kalin
Director of Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation since June 2023; Erdogan's spokesman, 2014-2023.
On 26 October 2026 Ibrahim Kalin travelled to Tehran with Saudi Arabia's defence minister and Pakistan's Army chief, representing the Mecca defence pact states at talks hosted by Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei.
Last refreshed: 29 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did Turkey send its spy chief to Tehran?
Timeline for Ibrahim Kalin
Led Turkey's delegation to Tehran
Iran Conflict 2026: Rezaei hosts Mecca pact chiefs in TehranBackground
Ibrahim Kalin has run Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation since 5 June 2023. Before that he was President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman from December 2014, and earlier a senior adviser to Erdogan as prime minister. He holds a doctorate in Islamic studies from George Washington University.
His career has moved from the presidency's public voice to its intelligence service, which gives him both a messaging background and direct access to Erdogan's inner circle.
That access makes him one of Ankara's envoys for sensitive regional contacts. In Tehran on 26 October he sat with the Saudi and Pakistani delegations; all three states belong to the Mecca defence pact, invoked over attacks on Saudi Arabia on 5 October. The joint text from the meeting promised only more dialogue.
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 29 October 2026. Editorial standards.