The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) stands out as one of the leading entities among the anti-Türkiye lobbies in the United States.
Sinan Ciddi, serving as a “researcher” and lobbyist within the FDD’s Türkiye Desk, is a notable figure associated with the organization.
Recently, Ciddi, whom I corrected again regarding an unfounded social media post about Türkiye, resorted to base insults like “thug” against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan when he could not respond to my arguments. Furthermore, he threatened to get me included on the U.S. sanctions list.
His remarks were as follows: “Of course, you will stand by Erdoğan and Hamas. Rest assured, my colleagues at FDD and I will do our best to identify and hold individuals like yourself accountable. We are focused on scrutinizing each of Erdoğan’s activities that violate the legal framework of civilized nations and international law. There will be no room for maneuver. Halkbank was just the beginning.
"We look forward to the misery awaiting you and your ruling elite.”
My response to him was as follows: “It is an honor to be the target of genocide apologists like you. Don’t spare any effort. We will continue to defend Türkiye’s sovereignty and Palestine’s freedom at any cost.”
However, the focal point is not about me. It revolves around the “sources” the FDD member has dared to threaten. I want to draw attention to how the FDD, claiming to conduct lobbying and research under U.S. laws, was characterized in the censored documentary “The Lobby – USA” by Al-Jazeera.
Sima Vaknin-Gil, director general of Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs, categorizes the FDD as an agent of the Israeli government. We became aware of this through recordings obtained by a journalist who successfully infiltrated this closed-door meeting.
The FDD is not registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act; it functions as just another think tank in the U.S. capital, Washington. The foundation is managed by Jonathan Schanzer, a former employee of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Through the documents they produce, the FDD strives to influence the U.S. Congress to pass decisions against countries they perceive as acting against Israeli interests. Now, I have a few questions regarding this matter:
Does Ciddi, who threatens a journalist from across the Atlantic on behalf of the American government solely for correcting misinformation in his own tweet while he is comfortably seated in his home, represent the FDD?
Suppose the FDD is indeed a think tank limited to conducting lobbying activities, as it asserts. How is one of its researchers behaving with such ease, appearing to wield influence akin to decision-makers within the U.S. government?
Could the underlying reason for this “boldness” be that the FDD transcends the typical boundaries of a think tank operating within the confines of American laws?
What are the exact connections between the U.S. Department of the Treasury and both FDD and Ciddi, the individual who appears to assert authority in decision-making on behalf of the department?
Alternatively, is it plausible that the FDD is being financed by entities linked to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, contradicting the commonly held belief that it is funded by organizations associated with the U.S. Republicans?
Or is the FDD actually financed by institutions affiliated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party rather than the U.S. Republican Party, as claimed?
Is the FDD genuinely influential in shaping the sanctioning authority of the U.S. government? If so, how many innocent individuals might have, in the past, fallen victim to U.S. sanctions due to conflicts of interest within the organization? This is similar to when Ciddi, driven by personal disagreements, threatened me with sanctions.
There are numerous unanswered questions, and the assured demeanor of this self-proclaimed civil society advocate, essentially an “enforcer,” only underscores the validity of these inquiries.
