Policeman cleared of spying allegations for Turkey

The 37-year old suspect was briefly detained and suspended from service Keystone

Swiss prosecutors have dropped a case involving a cantonal police assistant for Basel City who was suspected of spying for Turkey.

Officials said there is no evidence that the Turkish-born traffic policeman passed on confidential information to a third party.

However, the suspect was found guilty of illegally gathering information regarding about 160 people, mainly with foreign background.

He can still appeal against the penalty in court. The authorities refused to disclose further details.

The policeman was briefly detained in April and suspended from the police force, following a tip-off from the Federal Intelligence Service. He was known to be a supporter of the controversial Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

There have also been reports about suspected Turkish spying activities at Zurich University in late 2016 and early 2017.

Legal assistance

Over the past few months, the Federal Justice Office has rejected at least four requests for legal assistance from Turkey investigating cases of alleged slander against Erdoğan.

Another case is still pending that involves a suspect allegedly using social media to call for the killing of the Turkish president, according to the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.

In May, the Swiss authorities decided not to charge a protester who held a banner at a public rally in the Swiss capital, Bern, calling for Erdoğan’s death.

The Turkish regime has been cracking down on supporters of United States-based Moslem cleric Fethullah Gülen blamed by Ankara for last year’s coup attempt.