The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday that three suspects were detained and another one was at large in an espionage case. A written statement by the office said Istanbul counterterrorism police and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) coordinated an investigation against people suspected of espionage.
“It was discovered that (the suspects) tried to compile biographical information about executives at critically important defense industry companies in the country and contacted officials from other countries. An operation was held on Nov. 25 and three people were detained while another suspect has a pending arrest warrant as he/she was in another country,” the statement said.
Türkiye's defense industry made giant leaps in the past decade, producing everything from drones to fighter jets and naval vessels. Türkiye became a leading exporter, especially in drones. But the country is also targeted more by spies, especially those working for Israel. MIT and other public agencies managed to dismantle several networks working for Mossad, while it is unclear which intelligence service was behind the suspects captured in Tuesday's operations.
