Two Greek men arrested for allegedly supplying naval info to Turkey
The man arrested is suspected of transferring intelligence on sea operations to the second man, who worked at the Turkish consulate in Rhodes.
By SARAH BEN-NUNTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia March 5, 2020.(photo credit: PAVEL GOLOVKIN/POOL VIA REUTERS)
Two men from Rhodes were arrested Saturday night, accused of being Turkish spies, as reported by Ynet and AFP.According to local reports, one of the men worked on a ferry that travels between Rhodes and Kastellorizo, another Greek island 40 km, away.Kastellorizo is also about two kilometers away from the Turkish mainland and is considered disputed territory. Turkey has been conducting naval operations in that part of the Mediterranean as far back as July, with the goal of establishing Turkish control over those waters.As The Jerusalem Post previously reported, "Turkey says it is merely doing a seismic survey. But Ankara has been increasingly claiming a huge swath of the Mediterranean – and claiming it is a 'blue motherland' for Turkey."Why? Natural resources in the Mediterranean, particularly gas. In July, Turkey conducted a seismic survey of the waters close to Cyprus, teasing Greece.One of the men arrested is suspected of transferring intelligence on sea operations to the second man, who worked at the Turkish consulate in Rhodes.After reportedly ceasing naval operations, Turkey officially and publicly resumed them in November.
