Swiss prosecutors accuse Turkey of espionage

GENEVA — Swiss federal prosecutors say they have “concrete indications” pointing to alleged political espionage by people linked to the Turkish community in Switzerland. Attorney General Michael Lauber’s office says it opened a criminal investigation into suspicions of such spying on March 16, after having received permission from the federal government. Friday’s announcement comes a day after Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter told his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, that Swiss authorities would investigate any illegal intelligence activities in Switzerland. Turkish voters face a referendum next month on constitutional changes that could grant sweeping new powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has fanned tensions between Turkey and some European countries.