Germany probes Turk over alleged spying on Gulen supporters
German prosecutors said Friday that they are investigating a
Turkish man who was arrested in Dusseldorf on suspicion that he spied on
supporters of cleric Fethullah Gulen's movement while acting on behalf of
Turkish intelligence.
The suspect, identified only as Ali D. in line with German
privacy rules, was detained at a Duesseldorf hotel on Sept. 17 after an employee
found a weapon on him and called police.
Federal prosecutors, who in Germany handle cases involving
national security, said they have taken over the case from investigators in
Duesseldorf.
They are investigating the arrested man on suspicion of
espionage and a weapons violation, prosecutors said in an emailed response to a
question about German media reports on the probe.
Prosecutors said there are indications that Ali D. collected
information on supporters of the Gulen movement living in the Cologne area for
Turkey's MIT intelligence service. He is also accused of possessing 200 rounds
of ammunition.
Turkey has blamed U.S.-based Muslim cleric Gulen, a former
ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for an attempted coup in 2016. Gulen
rejects the accusation.
The Turkish government designated his network a terrorist
group.
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