Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has established a permanent lobbying office in Washington, spending about $6.2 million since 2024, according to US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings analysed by open-source researcher Eitan Fischberger.
The office is headed by Halil Mutlu, who is described as a cousin of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to the filings, the AKP purchased a property in Washington, reportedly a former French embassy and Beaux-Arts building, for about $4.9 million. Additional funds were subsequently spent on renovations and operations.
The latest filing, submitted in July 2026, records further transfers of approximately $1.3 million.
The AKP office has operated as the party’s official representative in the United States since 2022 and is required under FARA to disclose its political activities.
Bombshell: Erdogan's AKP set up a $6.2 million Washington HQ and met with Mehdi Hasan, CAIR, John Kiriakou, and….Tucker Carlson's business partner?
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) August 15, 2026
According to several FARA filings from the past year, submitted by the political party of Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan… pic.twitter.com/AdjotFspd8
Meetings with US figures
Most of the office’s reported activities are broadly described as discussions on US-Turkey relations or public events.
However, the filings also record several meetings involving prominent US figures.
These include:
- June 11, 2025: a meeting with journalist Mehdi Hasan.
- October 2025: attendance at a CAIR-New York dinner.
- April 23, 2025, and March 11, 2026: two meetings with former CIA officer John Kiriakou.
- March 12, 2026: a virtual meeting with Neil Patel, co-founder of the Daily Caller with Tucker Carlson and current CEO of the Tucker Carlson Network.
Weeks after the second meeting with Kiriakou, he appeared on Carlson’s podcast. Carlson’s network has also been linked to the publication of a book by the former CIA officer.
The FARA filings do not disclose the substance of the discussions.
Kiriakou responds to reports
Kiriakou initially described the claims about his meetings as “Zionist lies”.
He later acknowledged meeting individuals connected to the AKP and said the discussions focused on foreign policy.
“About 18 months ago, I met with two American citizens connected to the Turkish AKP who wanted to talk about foreign policy,” Kiriakou said.
He added that he told them: “Turkey needs to immediately withdraw from Cyprus and must stop harassing and threatening Greece and Greek airspace.”
“There was nothing more,” he said.
Fischberger subsequently pointed to the FARA filings, which also record a second meeting involving Kiriakou in March 2026.
Kiriakou’s focus on Cyprus
Kiriakou has also spoken increasingly about Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean in recent months.
In May 2026, he gave a live interview from Cyprus in which he discussed Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey and NATO and warned that the situation could develop into the “beginning of World War III”.
He has publicly described Turkey as an expansionist power and said Israel considers Turkey a threat, with Cyprus caught in the middle.
Kiriakou has also strongly criticised what he describes as a US “Israel First” policy, arguing that it risks drawing Washington into a wider regional conflict.
In some videos, he has also promoted claims that Cyprus faces a risk of mass settlement by Israelis. Such claims have not been independently substantiated.
Carlson and Turkish-linked contacts
Tucker Carlson has in recent years adopted a strongly critical position towards Israel’s influence on US foreign policy.
He has argued that an “Israel First” approach undermines the “America First” doctrine and risks drawing the United States into conflicts that do not serve its interests.
The meeting between Neil Patel and Mutlu, followed by Kiriakou’s appearance on Carlson’s podcast, has raised questions about contacts between the Carlson network and Turkish-linked figures.
However, the FARA records alone do not establish that the meetings resulted in political influence, funding arrangements or coordinated activity.
Allegations involving Qatar and Turkish funding
Carlson has also faced allegations from pro-Israel conservative figures, including Laura Loomer, that he has links to Qatar or has received influence or funding from the Gulf state.
Carlson and Patel have rejected those allegations.
In March 2026, Loomer, citing an alleged CIA source, claimed that the agency had information about Turkish funding of American podcasters intended to undermine the Trump administration’s Middle East policy.
She also described Turkey as the world’s largest funder of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Those allegations have not been independently verified.
What the FARA filings show
The latest disclosures have renewed questions about the extent of Turkish political influence efforts among US conservative circles.
However, the FARA filings provide information about registered activities, payments and contacts rather than the substance or outcome of private discussions.
They therefore do not, by themselves, establish that the individuals who met with AKP representatives were acting on behalf of Turkey or received Turkish funding.
The filings do show that the AKP has invested heavily in maintaining a permanent presence in Washington and has held meetings with journalists, political figures and individuals connected to prominent US media networks.
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