Turkish diplomat, cook facing espionage charges
A secretary at the Turkish Consulate on Rhodes will face a magistrate this week on espionage charges after a 54-year-old galley cook allegedly admitted to being recruited by the diplomat over the summer to keep tabs on Greek ships in the southeastern Aegean.
The cook, a Turkish national who works on a ferry boat linking the Greek islands of Rhodes and Kastellorizo, is thought to have been photographing the position of Hellenic Navy vessels in the area, eavesdropping on conversations between military personnel riding the ferry and tracking activities at army bases within view of the ship’s route.
Intelligence agency sources told Kathimerini that the pair started meeting in Rhodes in October.
The 35-year-old diplomat had reportedly been under surveillance for some time, leading to the pair’s arrest on Friday and the seizure of electronic devices. Both suspects were released from custody.
