Turkish prosecutors seek up to 20 years in jail for opposition DEVA founding member
Turkish prosecutors have demanded up to 20 years in prison for opposition DEVA founding member Metin Gürcan on charges of “political and military espionage.” Gürcan has refuted the allegations and said that the analyses which he has been sharing with foreign diplomats could be found in open sources.
Duvar English
Turkish prosecutors are seeking up to 20 years in prison for opposition Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) founder and member Metin Gürcan over charges of “political and military espionage,” Demirören news agency reported on Jan. 6.
The indictment said that Gürcan had shared information that should have stayed confidential with foreign state officials. The indictment said that Gürcan's meetings with foreign state officials were documented through pictures. One of the pictures showed Gürcan sitting at a table in Ankara with a foreign diplomat and receiving an envelope reportedly including money, Demirören news agency said.
The indictment also included Gürcan's testimony, who refuted the allegations. Gürcan said that he has been doing military and geostrategic analyses after his retirement and has been presenting his analyses which he complied from open sources in return for a copyright payment to diplomats.
He also said that he has worked for the Turkish Armed Forces for many years and that he has been giving consulting services since 2019. He said that the documents he has been providing are open to everyone's access, that they cannot be considered within “espionage activity,” and that he has not been sharing any confidential data.
The indictment has been sent to the Ankara 26th Heavy Penal Court.
Gürcan was arrested late on Nov. 29, 2021, three days after his detention. For over a year now, Turkish authorities have been monitoring Gürcan and listening to his phone calls, media outlets reported at the time.