«Deep state»: the journey of a concept

Born in Turkey, this expression spread to the United States and the rest of the world in just a few years. Frequently used by conspiracy theorists, it has now spread beyond these circles to other uses. How can we explain such an echo?

It was in Turkey that I first heard of the Deep State, in the late 1990s. My interlocutors alluded to it with a knowing air. The contours of the expression derin devlet were not precise. It referred to the power wielded in the background by the Turkish armed forces, then able to defeat a government if they so chose, associated with certain political and economic circles as well as more obscure circles, against a backdrop of clandestine actions involving police or intelligence services under the pretext of preserving a Kemalist order.

Change of scenery: in France, in July 2024, other