Germany investigates possible Turkish espionage

German federal prosecutor's office on Tuesday launched an investigation into suspected spying by Turkish intelligence service.

On suspicion of espionage in Germany, the Karlsruhe-based procuratorate will target the "unnamed entity", said its spokesman.

Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) reported that the probe might be directed at Turkish secret service MIT, since it has allegedly watched closely on Gulen movement supporters.

The German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere on the same day said Germany would not tolerate foreign espionage on its territory, responding to media reports alleging that the MIT was spying on supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the influential Turkish Muslim cleric living in the United States.

Ankara has long accused the group of plotting the July 2016 coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and had sent 4,500 documents on terror suspects to Berlin demanding repatriation. But the German government did not respond to it.

It also ignited a verbal battle between officials of the two countries, significantly degrading the already tense ties. Erdogan blamed Chancellor Angela Merkel for "supporting terrorists" while Merkel chid Erdogan's remarks "absurd".

Last month, German police raided apartments of four clerics suspected of being spies for the Turkish government. Endit