Turkey captures spy who abducted Syrian army defectors back to Assad regime

A Turkish national who kidnapped anti-Assad army officers and forcibly transferred them back to Syria has been arrested after 12 years at large, Turkey's intelligence agency said on Monday.

Onder Sigircikoglu was captured on the Syria-Lebanon border in a joint operation by Turkish and Syrian intelligence, security sources cited by Turkey's Daily Sabah said.

He has been transferred to Ankara for questioning.

Sigircikoglu is accused of kidnapping Free Syrian Army commanders Hussein Harmoush and Mustafa Kassum in 2011 and handing them over to the now-deposed Assad government. Harmoush died of torture while in Syrian regime detention.

In 2013, Turkish authorities sentenced Sigircikoglu to 20 years in prison; however, he escaped from the Osmaniye Open Prison in 2014. Turkey says Sigircikoglu was aided in his escape by members of the outlawed Gülen movement, dubbed FETO by Ankara.

Sigircikoglu lived in Syria, Russia, and Lebanon after his escape. In Syria, Sigircikoglu enjoyed protection under the Assad regime and is accused of carrying out espionage against Turkey.

Intelligence services tracked his movement from Syria to Lebanon, then to Russia, and back to Lebanon, from where he was planning to re-enter Syria.

Turkish and Syrian intelligence acted on this information, waiting for the fugitive to attempt a border crossing. 

Sigircikoglu is expected to face several new charges, including espionage, aiding a terrorist organisation, and aiding in a homicide.

Syrian and Turkish intelligence have also established a joint working group related to the killing of Hussein Harmoush, according to Turkish media.