Türkiye detains suspects linked to espionage with France, China

Some 10 suspects allegedly linked to intelligence services in France and China have been detained, says Interior Ministry

Turkish authorities detained 10 suspects found to have exchanged information and documents related to espionage activities in Türkiye with intelligence services from France and China, the Ministry of Interior announced Thursday.

According to the ministry’s statement, Ahmed Katie, who identified himself as a so-called activist and journalist, attempted to establish contacts with political parties in Türkiye.

Katie claimed to have received alleged threats from Turkish state officials.

It was determined that Katie obtained undisclosed confidential information about Syrian refugees in Türkiye and the country’s migration policies.

He fabricated information and documents to discredit Türkiye in Europe – which he then passed on to the French Foreign Intelligence Service as part of espionage activities.

In live broadcasts on foreign media channels, Katie used false statements such as “Syrian individuals being killed by Turkish soldiers at the Türkiye-Syria border,” “Turkish border guards throwing 55 migrants into the Meriç River at the Türkiye-Greece border,” “Türkiye applying alleged torture in detention centers for refugees,” among others.

It was also found that Katie provided fake documents to Syrians undergoing legal processes in Syria to acquire Turkish passports.

Katie, residing in Istanbul and whose family sought asylum at the French Consulate General, was discovered to have been approached by the French Foreign Intelligence Service that allegedly proposed that he engage in military and political espionage against Türkiye in exchange for the approval of his political asylum application.

Given this offer, Katie reportedly transmitted all his activities in Türkiye under French intelligence’s directives through the Aleppo Friends Community (Coliectif Amis d’Alep) executives, a civil society organization based in Paris.

After being monitored by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and being exposed as a spy for a year, Katie was apprehended along with Husam Elnahar and Ibrahim Shewaish, with whom he worked while preparing for asylum in France, because of a joint operation by MIT and Istanbul Police Department

The suspects were arrested on court orders and were sent to prison.

Operation targeting 7 Chinese intelligence informants

In addition, as part of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, an operation was launched against seven suspects who were found to have shared the information they collected with the Chinese intelligence unit.

Seven suspects were apprehended in the operation jointly organized by MIT and the Istanbul Police Department’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau.

Numerous digital materials, foreign currencies, two unlicensed firearms, and 51 rounds of ammunition were seized during the operation.

It was determined that the apprehended suspects shared the information and documents they collected about prominent figures of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region residing and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region associations and organizations operating in Türkiye with Chinese intelligence agencies.

Source: AA

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