Germany appoints Turkish-born Sinan Selen head of domestic intelligence

Sinan Selen, a Turkish-born lawyer and counterterrorism expert, is set to become the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), marking the first time a person of immigrant background will lead this key security institution. He has served as vice president of the BfV since 2019 and has a long career in security, including work at the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Interior Ministry, specializing in international terrorism and extremism. Selen's appointment, expected to be formally approved by the German cabinet in mid-September 2025, succeeds Thomas Haldenwang, who resigned to run unsuccessfully for parliament. Born in Istanbul and having moved to Germany at age four, Selen's rise symbolizes a significant milestone for immigrant integration within Germany's security apparatus. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and government insiders have praised Selen as one of the foremost professionals in German security agencies. The BfV, with approximately 4,200 employees, is tasked with counterintelligence and monitoring threats to Germany's democratic order.