Spy scandal hits interests of Chechen authorities in Turkey

The mention of State Duma member Adam Delimkhanov in media reports about Russian citizens detained in Istanbul and Antalya became an unofficial warning to the authorities of Chechnya from Turkey, experts interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot” suggested.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on October 20, a court in Istanbul took in custody six persons who were detained on October 8 in Istanbul and Antalya on charges of political and military espionage. Five of the detainees have Russian citizenship.

The spy scandal will not affect the economic ties between Chechnya and Turkey and the personal economic interests of top-ranking officials of the Chechen authorities, believes a retired agent of the Turkish special services, who preferred to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile, according to the Turkish law enforcer, the influence of Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya Adam Delimkhanov, whose name was mentioned at once by several Turkish media outlets that reported about the special operation, does not extend to Turkey.

“The failed operation with the agents, who may be affiliated with Adam Delimkhanov, is obviously directly related to the activities of spying on Chechen dissidents and organizing assassination attempts. To a certain extent, this is a signal to the authorities of Chechnya and personally to Adam Delimkhanov that his attempt to consolidate Turkey in the power component of his functional has no prospects. The Turkish authorities and the country’s special services will not allow murders and bandit operations to be carried out here,” the source said.

The failure of an attempt to take control over Turkey through a military operation with an attempt on the lives of critics of the Chechen authorities and the murder of a field commander is also a signal to Ramzan Kadyrov, the Turkish law enforcer believes.

“I think that the name of Adam Delimkhanov voiced in the context of the story is a clear message from the Turkish authorities that they will not allow the Chechen authorities to do something like that here. This is a slap in the face to Ramzan Kadyrov through Adam Delimkhanov,” the retired agent of the Turkish special services said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 8, 2021 at 06:43 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.