Egypt jails 29 over spying for Turkey

The suspects face charges of seeking to harm national interests and links to a terrorist group

Egypt’s chief prosecutor yesterday ordered the detention of 29 Islamists suspected of spying for Turkey, amid strains between the two countries.

The suspects have been ordered to be jailed for 15 days pending further questioning for seeking to harm Egyptian national interests, money laundering, and belonging to a terrorist group — a reference to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood the official Mena reported.

Investigations by the higher state security prosecution showed members of the Turkish security and intelligence agencies had colluded with the international organisation of the Brotherhood to plan for the Islamist group to seize power in Egypt by disrupting the current state institutions in the country, according to Mena.

The “conspirators” sought to achieve the objective by illegally allowing international phone calls via the internet using servers in Turkey with the aim of tapping these calls and monitoring the situation inside Egypt, the agency added.

Revenues from the alleged calls were used to fund media outlets transmitting from abroad to spread false news about Egypt and incite people against state institutions inside the country.

Information gained from tapped calls had been passed on to Turkish intelligence services with the aim of using it to recruit people inside Egypt to “carry out hostile acts”.

Police raided houses and offices of the suspects and seized devices used in their illegal activities, including the unlawful conduct of international calls and spying.

Egypt’s higher state security prosecution said it would issue updates on the case “in line with interests of investigations”.

Mena reported that an unspecified number of the suspects in the case are still at large inside and outside Egypt.

Relations between Egypt and Turkey have soured since mid-2013 when the army toppled Islamist president Mohammad Mursi, a senior Brotherhood official, following mass protests against his rule.

Months later, Egypt expelled the Turkish ambassador and downgraded diplomatic links with Ankara to the level of charges d’affaires.