Egypt took firm stances against Turkey on Wednesday after accusing Ankara’s intelligence and security apparatuses of seeking to target state institutions in collaboration with members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Egypt’s Prosecutor General Nabil Ahmad Sadek ordered the detention of 29 suspects for 15 days on charges of espionage for Ankara, with the intention of damaging the country’s national interests and of conducting overseas calls without licensing.
General intelligence investigations revealed on Wednesday that Turkish security and intelligence services developed a scheme with Muslim Brotherhood members to take power in Egypt by disturbing the existing systems in state institutions.
According to investigators, the conspirators “recorded calls and collected intelligence information, including monitoring the opinions of various social groups and classes in Egypt.”
They said that Turkish intelligence then used the information to recruit agents to commit aggressive acts against the Egyptian state.
The findings of the probe also uncovered that the conspirators deliberately circulated false information and rumors through Egyptian media outlets, seeking to turn public opinion against state institutions.
The General Prosecution has allowed that phone calls, meetings and all correspondences carried out between the defendants and the Turkish security and intelligence services for consecutive months, be recorded.
Turkey currently hosts leaders and Muslim Brotherhood members, who have received court verdicts.
Ankara has also facilitated paperwork for Muslim Brotherhood students who were dismissed from Egyptian universities by allowing them to enroll in Turkish universities.
The Supreme State Security Prosecutors also ordered a raid on the houses of the suspects, seizing high tech electronic devices, electromagnetic wave receptors, in addition to nano stations used in rapid speed connection of these devices to international information networks.
Also on Wednesday, Cairo’s Criminal Court upheld a verdict by Prosecutor General Nabil Sadeq to confiscate all belongings and assets of 16 defendants involved in the case of spying for Turkey.
