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Turkish authorities say they have dismantled an espionage network linked to Iran, arresting six people accused of gathering sensitive military information, with Cyprus emerging as part of the alleged operational planning.
According to Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, the arrests followed a coordinated operation by Turkey’s National Intelligence Service (MIT), working alongside police units across five provinces. The suspects are accused of collecting classified military and security data and preparing possible attack scenarios, including surveillance of the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.
What has raised eyebrows closer to home is an allegation that one member of the network was planning to move armed drones through Turkey to occupied Cyprus, and potentially onward to the Republic of Cyprus, using companies he owned as cover.
Turkish investigators say the network was allegedly directed by Iranian intelligence officials Najaf Rostami, known by the alias “Haji,” and Mahdi Yekeh Dehghan, known as “Doctor.” Rostami is said to have tasked a Turkish national based in eastern Van province with recruiting individuals to secretly photograph and film areas around the Incirlik base.
The investigation also reportedly uncovered the role of an Iranian national living in Ankara, who allegedly planned to transport armed drones under the guise of legitimate commercial drone activity. Authorities claim the transactions were presented as routine business deals in the unmanned aerial vehicle sector, masking their true purpose.
According to Turkish security sources, two of the suspects had received specialized drone training in Iran during the summer of 2025. Parts of the alleged logistics planning, they say, involved the movement of equipment connected to Cyprus.
The six suspects were arrested in raids centered in Istanbul and have been remanded in custody by court order. They face charges of obtaining state secrets for political or military espionage.
Investigators say the group relied on encrypted communications under the code name “Güvercin,” the Turkish word for “pigeon,” while funding was allegedly funneled through commercial transactions linked to unmanned systems.
The case comes as Turkey says its intelligence service significantly stepped up counter-espionage operations in 2025, carrying out hundreds of missions at home and abroad targeting spy networks, terrorist financing and cyber-related crimes.
