Turkish authorities have detained six individuals suspected of spying for Chinese intelligence and arrested three others accused of espionage on behalf of France’s foreign intelligence agency, according to reports by the pro-government media.
The arrests and detentions were made possible through the operations of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), according to reports by the Daily Sabah and Yirmidört news websites.
The six people detained for their alleged connections to Chinese intelligence are accused of gathering information on people from China’s Xinjiang province, home to the ethnic Uyghur community, and on the associations they are members of in Turkey.
Xinjiang has been the focus of international scrutiny over China’s treatment of the Uyghur population, with allegations of genocide against the Uyghurs. China, however, has consistently denied these allegations. Turkey hosts a significant Uyghur diaspora.
In a separate operation, Turkish police detained three individuals believed to have been conducting espionage activities for the French intelligence service for over a year. A court arrested and jailed the three.
According to the report by Yirmidört, the suspects, identified as Syrians living in İstanbul, were part of a cell directed by the French intelligence organization DGSE and coordinated their activities through a France-based NGO, Coliectif Amis d’Alep.
The NGO is known for its critical stance against Turkey’s policies.
They are accused of engaging in disinformation campaigns alleging human rights abuses in Turkish detention centers for migrants and refugees.