SULAIMANI (ESTA) — A Turkish court imprisoned a founder of the Turkish opposition Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) over “political and military espionage”, state-run news agency Anadolu reported on Monday.
Metin Gurcan, a retired member of the Turkish Armed Forces, helped establish DEVA with Ali Babacan, a former deputy prime minister and minister under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Reuters.
Anadolu said police asked Gurcan about his contacts with foreign diplomats based in Ankara, according to Reuters.
On Friday, Gurcan said he had been detained over “political espionage” and that police raided his house.
“I am being detained on charges of political espionage. The police are in the house… They are searching. I am shocked. I want your help,” Gurcan said on Twitter.
In a televised interview on Monday, Babacan said his party backed Gurcan and its lawyers would support him “until the end”, Reuters reported.
“Gurcan’s work is based on open sources. He does not have access to state secrets,” Babacan said.
DEVA and other opposition parties have called for urgent elections amid the lira meltdown, but the government has said presidential and general elections would be held as planned in June 2023.
