A Turkish court has ruled for the arrest of six people, including an Iranian national, who were detained in an operation targeting an alleged espionage network accused of collecting political and military intelligence on behalf of Iran, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday.
The National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the General Directorate of Security carried out coordinated raids in İstanbul and four other provinces as part of the investigation led by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Turkey’s counterterrorism police and intelligence officials said the group was linked to members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) intelligence branch.
Prosecutors allege that the suspects gathered information on military bases and strategically important locations in Turkey, as well as critical sites abroad.
The group reportedly conducted surveillance activities near İncirlik Airbase and sent intelligence and logistical data to Iranian intelligence services.
İncirlik is a Turkish airbase in the southern province of Adana also used by the United States Air Force, which has more than 1,400 airmen there.
Prosecutors also claimed the suspects monitored the transfer of armed drones through Turkey to third countries for operational purposes.
The suspects were identified as Iranian national Ashkan Jalali and five Turkish citizens: Remzi Beyaz, Alican Koç, Erhan Ergelen, Taner Özcan and Cemal Beyaz.
They were detained following simultaneous raids in İstanbul, Van, Samsun, Yalova and Ankara.
In recent years Turkey has conducted multiple operations targeting individuals accused of spying for foreign intelligence services, including Israel’s Mossad, Russia and Iran. Dozens of suspects have been arrested and prosecuted as part of these efforts.
In a similar operation in March 2025, five suspects were detained on accusations of engaging in espionage for Iran.
The suspects were taken into custody in simultaneous operations in İstanbul, Antalya and Mersin following a joint investigation by the National Intelligence Organization and the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Those suspects were accused of gathering intelligence on military bases and critical locations in Turkey and abroad and relaying the information to the IRGC.