The Istanbul public prosecutor's office initially said the suspects worked for the Emirati intelligence services, before deleting that statement and publishing a significantly revised version on X that did not mention the United Arab Emirates, AFP observed.

Judicial officials said a fourth suspect was still wanted, without specifying the suspects' nationality or what companies they worked for.

The prosecutor's office said the suspects "hold executive positions within critical defence companies operating in our country".

They are accused of attempting to provide "biographical" information about employees to foreign countries.

Turkey's defence exports swelled by 29 percent ($7.15 billion) in 2024, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- driven notably by the success of its military drones.

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