Prosecutors demand arrest of admirals, majors in Turkish military espionage case

İZMİR

Prosecutors in İzmir have arrested seven persons, including active soldiers, and imposed a travel ban on two other persons who have been implicated in connection with an operation launched against the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure (FETÖ/PDY) late on July 9.

The İzmir-centered operation was launched by İzmir Deputy Chief Prosecutor Okan Bato, who is in charge of Terror and Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, in 10 provinces in connection to claims that “fake evidence was produced in a military espionage investigation in İzmir via various irregularities.”

In February, a court in İzmir acquitted 357 suspects, including active-duty soldiers, in the trial of a military espionage case where the defendants were accused of “keeping confidential military information and documents.”

The suspects in the recent operation are accused of blackmailing the suspects in the former case and leaking information. The prosecutors claim the evidence in the former case was not provided by prostitutes as claimed but produced by other soldiers and police officials.

After the acquittal of the former suspects, an inspection was launched into a number of police officials, including former İzmir Police Chief Ail Bilkay, for organizing a plot against soldiers and having links to U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who is accused by the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of attempting to topple the government.