German police have arrested a 31-year-old Turkish man who is suspected of providing information on Kurds living in Germany to Turkish intelligence agencies, the German federal prosecutor's office announced on Friday.
The prosecutor's office said in a statement police had arrested the man, identified only by the initials M.S., in Hamburg on Thursday and searched his home.
"The accused is strongly suspected of working for the Turkish intelligence agency and providing information about Kurds living in Germany, including their whereabouts, contacts and political activities," it said.
The prosecutor's office had no immediate comment about the man's links to Ankara and how long he had been living in Germany.
ERDOĞAN'S ADVISOR WAS ARRESTED
In December 2014 an advisor of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Muhammed Taha Gergerlioğlu, was detained on espionage charges in Germany and was being tried in a court of law. Gergerlioğlu and two other Turkish citizens, Ahmet Duran Y. and Göksel G., were held in prison in Germany. While Duran Y. Amd Göksel G. were released after their arrest in December 2014, Muhammed Taha Gergerlioğlu has remained in custody throughout this period.
Prosecutors allege that the three men assembled information on critics of the Turkish government from the start of 2013 to the end of 2014.
Gergerlioğlu was a adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and after his arrest the Turkish Consul General visited him in person.
Prosecutors allege that Gergerlioğlu belonged to the Turkish spy agency, Milli Istihbarat Teskilat (MİT), and was a key member of Erdoğan's inner circle.
