A Turkish court has sentenced 11 accused spies, including two Iranian nationals, to 20 years in jail.
The Tabnak website cites the Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman to report that the suspects were accused of selling intelligence about the Turkish armed forces, the national security organization and a number of other government bodies to Iranian officials.
The report says the evidence included handwritten copies of lists that detail Turkey’s recent military purchases. Another document is a handwritten copy of information about the discovery of oil resources in Turkey’s Igdir province.
According to the report in Today's Zaman, one of the suspects claimed Iranian intelligence agencies have charged him with taking photos of government and military facilities in Igdir.
According to the indictment, the Islamic Republic targets Turkish businessmen by imposing customs and duty obstacles and then enlisting their cooperation in exchange for the removal of those obstacles.
Iranian authorities have not yet responded to the charges.
Iranian-Turkish relations have become tense in the past year due to their opposing stances on the Syrian conflict. While Iran supports the Beshar Assad government, Turkey has sided with the opposition.
