Egypt Detains 29 on Charges of Espionage for Turkey

Staff Writer With AP — Egypt’s Public Prosecutor ordered the detention of 29 people on charges of espionage on behalf of Turkey, state news agency MENA said on Wednesday.

The suspects were members of Muslim Brotherhood, which is outlawed by authorities in Egypt, and were expected to remain in detention for two weeks.

A prosecution statement Wednesday says the 29 illegally facilitated international calls made by people in Egypt through Turkish-based servers offered at discounted charges. The statement accuses them of then eavesdropping on the calls to gather information on conditions in Egypt that they passed onto Turkish intelligence.

The money earned from the calls was allegedly also used to set up media platforms outside Egypt that used the information to spread fake news and rumors to incite Egyptians against their government.

Egypt and Turkey have been at loggerheads since the military’s 2013 ouster of an Islamist president who hails from the Brotherhood and enjoyed broad support of Turkey.