Dutch official leaves Turkey after espionage accusations

A Dutch man Turkey accused of being a spy left Turkey "for his own safety", the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed, RTL Nieuws reports.

On Monday various Turkish media sources reported that the Turkish authorities are investigating a Dutch spy, identified by the initials A.Z. They reported that the Turkish intelligence service has been following him for some time. According to Turkish media, he was trying to gather intelligence, and spread false information, about Turkish ties with terrorist organization ISIS, and a Turkish operation in Afrin, Syria.

According to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the man worked at the Dutch Consulate General in Istanbul and was also responsible for regional activities. The Ministry would not say more about the matter, RTL reports.