Moldova Ex-Intelligence Chief Faces Trial Over Turkish Expulsions

The General Prosecutor of Moldova, Alexandr Stoianoglu, on Wednesday said charges against the former head of the intelligence service, SIS, Vasile Botnari, had been sent to court for the involuntary deportation in 2018 of seven Turkish teachers to Turkey, where they were jailed for alleged links to exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen.

"The whole operation was arranged, coordinated and directed directly by the accused, who at that time held the position of director of the SIS," Stoianoglu said.

Moldovan and Turkish intelligence services detained the seven nationals in a joint operation. They had been working for a private chain of high schools in Moldova that was linked to Gulen, who the government in Ankara blames for a failed coup attempt and now lives in exile in the US.

Two other former deputy directors of the SIS and the head of the Migration and Asylum Bureau were removed from criminal prosecution after it was decided that they were just following orders.

Stoianoglo said the investigation had not established any connection between the expulsion of the teachers, President Igor Dodon or other Moldovan politicians.

The General Prosecutor, who comes from the ethnic Turkish Gagauz minority, addressed the expelled teachers and their families in Turkish: "I am sorry that Moldova could not defend the fundamental rights of the Turkish teachers and I hope it will be a lesson for all," he said.

All the expelled teachers were later jailed in Turkey for alleged involvement in terrorist activities, receiving jail sentences of up to nine years.

The expelled Turks were named as Riza Dogan, director of the Durlesti branch of the Horizont school network, Hasan Karacaoglu, deputy general manager, Yasin Ozdil, responsible for PR at the school,...