Turkey arrests defense firm top executives amid espionage probe
3 Min Read
ASSAN Group's owner and manager were detained in Turkey over military espionage suspicions and alleged ties to the Gülen network, with investigations and raids ongoing.
-
Soldiers stand in guard as people wait outside a courthouse before the trial of 497 defendants, in Sincan, outside the capital Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, April 7, 2021 (AP)
Turkish authorities have detained the owner and general manager of the ASSAN Group, a defense and construction conglomerate, as part of a military espionage investigation, the Istanbul prosecutor's office said late on Wednesday.
The prosecutor's office stated that the two men, identified as company owner Emin Oner and general manager Gurcan Okumus, were being held on suspicion of military espionage and membership in the network of US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, which Ankara accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.
Searches were continuing at their homes and offices, while 10 companies operating under the ASSAN Group were placed under trustee management by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), the statement added. The prosecutor's office stated that the investigations are still ongoing.
What is ASSAN?
ASSAN Group, founded in 1986, entered the defense sector more prominently in 2016 when it began developing defense-oriented products. Dedicated to providing “end-to-end solutions,” the company has steadily broadened its portfolio to address the demands of modern warfare.
Through its acquisition of South Africa’s Dynaflow Technologies back in May, ASSAN initiated in-house production of hard target and proximity fuzes for aerial bombs. This step allows the company to deliver integrated offerings, bringing together munitions, fuzes, and systems, to ensure interoperability and high performance for defense forces.
In October last year, ASSAN signed several agreements with the Edge Group, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and its subsidiary, Lahab. The contracts include the procurement of bombs and the establishment of a munition production line.
MIT warns against Israeli recruitment
Earlier on August 2, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) issued a warning that "Israel" might attempt to recruit agents in Turkish territories, applying the methods it refined during its war on Iran. The warning came in light of an assessment of "Israel's" strategy in the region by the intelligence agency.
According to the report, such recruitment methods are part of broader psychological warfare efforts aimed at destabilizing a target country, tactics that may now be redirected toward Turkey.
The MIT report accuses "Israel" of deliberately intensifying political and economic unrest in Iran by targeting and assassinating Iranian leaders, operations which MIT suggests serve a dual purpose of eliminating strategic figures and fostering the kind of disarray that facilitates the recruitment of local agents.
MIT warned that similar tactics could be deployed in Turkey and called on the government to proactively address the threat.
