Turkish Agents Trying to Infiltrate German Security Agency

Turkish security agencies are trying to outplace their agents in the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), local media reported on Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Welt media outlet, the BfV is hiring new employees now and several candidates had close ties with the Turkish security bodies.

"The BfV as any other intelligence service is subject to attempts of strategic infiltration of foreign secret services. That is why, we as a security agency must be especially vigilant concerning our candidates," a representative of the BfV told Welt without disclosing any details about infiltration attempts.

The relations between Turkey and Germany as well as other EU states deteriorated after the last year attempted coup in Turkey, which resulted in mass arrests of those, who allegedly had links to the plotters.

The Ankara-Berlin relations even more deteriorated this year after the German decision to ban Turkish pre-referendum rallies on its soil as well as Ankara's refusal to let lawmakers from Berlin visit the Incirlik air base, where German troops are stationed.