Turkey Arrests Six People Suspected of Being Iranian Spies

JAKARTA - Turkish authorities have arrested six people, including an Iranian citizen, on suspicion of spying for Tehran, according to the Anadolu news agency.

The arrests followed a coordinated operation by Turkey's National Intelligence Agency and anti-terror police in five provinces.

The suspects are believed to have been in contact with members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and accused of gathering information on military bases and other sensitive sites in Turkey, Anadolu reported, as reported by Al Arabiya from The Associated Press (29/1).

It is said that the suspects are suspected of monitoring the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Incirlik Air Base in Incirlik, Adana, southern Turkey.

The six were brought before a judge in Istanbul, who ordered them detained ahead of a trial on charges of political and military espionage.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian Embassy in Ankara.

The arrest comes amid rising regional tensions over concerns of a possible US military strike against Iran.

Turkish government officials have warned against foreign intervention in neighboring Iran, saying it could destabilize the country and lead to an influx of refugees.