A US delegate officer charged with espionage and trying to topple the government began trial in Turkey on Tuesday in a case that heightened tensions between the United States and its ally in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Metin Topuz, a Turkish national of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, was arrested in 2017 and accused of being linked to Islamic preacher Fathullah Gulen, a US resident whom Ankara accused of being behind the failed coup in 2016.
Turkish police drove Tubuz, weeping, to Istanbul´s Kaglayan courtroom where he faces a life sentence if found guilty.
Topoz denied his charge of conspiring with former police and prosecutors suspected of being linked to the Gulen movement.
"During my 25 years in the Drug Enforcement Administration, I met a lot of police and government officials and exchanged business cards with them," he said, adding: "My only concern was to work as an interpreter among the interlocutors."
"I have not betrayed my country ... the accusations are insulting to me and to my family, I am innocent," he told the court.
The meeting, which is expected to last for three days, was attended by the Chargé d´affaires of the US Embassy in Ankara and the Consul General in Istanbul.
The trial is being held as relations between the United States and Turkey have deteriorated due to differences over the war in Syria, Turkey´s purchase of Russian missiles and Washington´s refusal to hand over Gulen.
The US embassy said there was "no basis" for the charges.
US officials said the release of their Turkish nationals who were "unjustifiably arrested" was a priority. NASA´s Sergean Gulg, who holds both Turkish and American citizenship and is imprisoned on terrorism-related charges,
Turkey also imposes house arrest on another US consulate officer in Istanbul, Miti Gantürk, who faces charges such as those directed at Topoz.
A judge in January Hamza Aulogai, a former US consulate officer in Adana, southern Turkey, was convicted of helping fighters from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). He was released to end his sentence.
Tobuz is accused of involvement in espionage activities and of smuggling weapons using the Watsab application.
Topoz´s arrest in 2017 sparked a diplomatic crisis between Washington and Ankara, which for several months suspended most visa services before retreating.
"This was a big issue in Turkish-American relations, but the Americans have backed away from a previous decision to impose a visa ban and decided to pursue calm diplomacy," said Eileen Tidbachash, a researcher at the European Council on International Relations.
Tens of thousands of people have been arrested since the failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016 on suspicion of links to Gulen, while more than 100,000 people have been dismissed or prevented from public sector jobs. Gulen denies accusations he planned the failed coup.
Ankara has been repeatedly criticized by Western allies and human rights activists over the security crackdown they say has undermined democracy. But Turkish officials have pointed out that the campaign is necessary to get rid of Gulen´s influence in state institutions.
Relations between the United States and Turkey fell to their lowest level last year on the backdrop of the arrest of American Rev. Andrew Brunson, prompting them to exchange sanctions in a move that caused the Turkish lira to fall significantly.
Bronson was released in October, leading to a breakthrough in relations.
But Erdogan´s decision to buy the S-400 missile system from Russia has raised warnings from Washington that the deal could affect its sales of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
Turkey´s move to buy the system has raised questions among other NATO members about NATO equipment and worries about the relationship between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bilateral relations are strained mainly by US support for Kurdish factions in Syria, which Ankara considers terrorist groups linked to the PKK.
