Turkish official: Spy affair 'attempt to discredit Turkey'

In response to the Washington Post report that Turkey gave Iran information on Israeli spies, a senior official from Erdogan's ruling AK Party said such accusations were part of a deliberate attempt to discredit Turkey and undermine its role in the region following election of Iran's relatively moderate president Hassan Rohani.

"Turkey is a regional power and there are power centers which are uncomfortable with this ... Stories like these are part of a campaign," the official said. (Reuters)