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Turkish authorities arrest 6 on suspicion of spying for Iran

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities have arrested six people, including an Iranian national, on suspicion of spying for Iran, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday.

The arrests followed coordinated operations carried out by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization and counterterrorism police across five provinces.

The suspects are believed to have been in contact with members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and are accused of gathering information on military bases and other sensitive sites in Turkey, Anadolu reported. They allegedly conducted surveillance of NATO’s Incirlik air base in southern Turkey.

All six were brought before a judge in Istanbul, who ordered them held in pretrial detention on charges of political and military espionage.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian Embassy in Ankara.

The arrests come as regional tensions have risen over fears of a possible U.S. military strike on Iran.

Turkish government officials have warned against foreign intervention in neighboring Iran, saying it could spark instability and trigger a refugee influx.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

By WTOP Staff
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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