Anarchist Nihilist Youth Radicalization: Policy Recommendations For Türkiye

The report, authored by Hilmi Demir, sheds light on a brand-new threat that shatters the traditional understanding of terrorism: anarchist-nihilist radicalization, in which violence and chaos become the ends in themselves, without any specific political or religious objective

“Salad Bar Extremism” and Digital Hunting According to the report, the processes driving adolescents—and even children—toward violence today take place primarily in closed online chat rooms and on cell phones, rather than within traditional hierarchical terrorist organizations

This new structure, which brings together neo-Nazism, misogyny (incel culture), and occult beliefs such as Satanism, is referred to as “salad bar extremism” or “composite violent extremism."

Vulnerable young people, plagued by alienation, hopelessness, and a search for meaning, are being preyed upon by occult groups like O9A (the Nine Angles Cult); the “Cult of Saints," where school shooters are glorified as digital heroes; and dark web networks (such as the 764 network and the Com network) where violence is presented in a gamified manner

For young people, violence is transforming into a bloody aesthetic of existential despair, misanthropy, and the desire for revenge, rather than a political objective:

Danger in Turkey: Report Highlights the Devastating Impact of This Global Digital Threat in Turkey

The attack by Arda K. in Eskişehir, featuring Nazi and occult symbols

The misogynistic case of İsa Aras in Kahramanmaraş

The ritualistic murders committed by Semih Ç. in Fatih

demonstrate that local youth are also falling under the influence of this international ecosystem of violence.

Urgent Steps Toward a Solution: In light of this new threat—where traditional “catch and kill” tactics are ineffective—the report recommends the following urgent policies:

A Paradigm Shift in Security: Focusing on psychosocial root causes—such as loneliness, parental neglect, and hopelessness—rather than ideology.

Social Media Reforms: Holding companies legally accountable for algorithms that steer children toward toxic content.

Youth-Centered Welfare State: Establishing a preventive ecosystem that fills young people’s sense of belonging through organic communities, mental health support, and inclusive welfare state policies.