German prosecutors have filed espionage charges against a Turkish national, identified as Mehmet Fatih S., for spying on Kurdish expatriates at Turkey’s request.
Federal prosecutors said on Wednesday that 32-year-old Mehmet Fatih S. had worked for Turkish intelligence since 2013 and was tasked with spying on Kurds in 2015.
Arrested in December 2016, Mehmet Fatih S. received a total of 30,000 euros for his service, according to German prosecutors.
Tensions have risen between Turkey and Germany over espionage operations in the recent past.
According to an April report in the German daily Die Welt, a total of 20 Turkish citizens are facing an investigation on charges of spying on followers of the faith-based Gülen movement, which the Turkish government accuses of masterminding a July 15, 2016 coup attempt.
The movement denies any involvement. (Turkey Purge)
