Ex-Turkish Leader Denies Spying For United States

Turkey’s former prime minister, already dogged by allegations of corruption, was stung Thursday by accusations that she spied for the United States.

Tansu Ciller and the U.S. Embassy in Ankara quickly denied allegations that she has been providing information on Turkey’s policies to the CIA since 1967.

“Any suggestion of a clandestine relationship between Mrs. Ciller and the United States is completely false,” embassy spokeswoman Margarete Schmidt told The Associated Press.

Turkish newspapers said the armed forces chief of staff ordered a military prosecutor to look into the allegations.

Ciller said the accusations damage Turkey’s integrity, and she criticized the military for opening the investigation.

“Shame on anyone who does not discard these allegations,” she said.

A U.S.-educated economist, Ciller served as Turkey’s first woman prime minister from 1993-96. She was deputy premier in the Islamic-led coalition government that resigned last month under pressure from the military.