Algerian general indicted for giving Turkey sensitive information

Aya Ezz

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is running into a new spying scandal, involving an Algerian army general.

Erdogan has apparently succeeded in convincing the general to provide him with information about the Algerian military in return for money.

Treason

The French site, Maghreb Intelligence, ran a report in which it mentioned the reasons why the Algerian military prosecution had accused escaped lieutenant general Ghali Belqoseir of treason.

The prosecution also issued an international arrest warrant for the escaped lieutenant general.

According to the site, Belqoseir made direct contacts with the Turkish intelligence to give it sensitive information about the Algerian military.

Algerian media considers Belqoseir a secret-keeper of the Algerian army.

Turkey had reportedly promised the escaped lieutenant general to protect him against arrest in return for providing it with important information about the Algerian army and Algerian security agencies, the site said.

The Algerian intelligence was especially interested in information about Algerian army units deployed along Algeria’s borders with Libya and Mali, the site said.

It added that Belqoseir agreed to deal with the Turkish intelligence, because he did not have confidence in either the French or the Spanish intelligence which could have handed him over to his country.

The site said a Turkish businessman liaised between Belqoseir and the Turkish intelligence in May this year.

Gulf state involved

On 11 August, an Algerian military court accused Belqoseir of treason. The court also issued an international arrest warrant for him.

The court said a Gulf state was involved in the recruitment of Belqoseir by the Turkish intelligence.

This state, it said, tried to ease Belqoseir’s exit from Algeria.