Turkey sent Russian President Vladimir Putin back to Moscow when at the age of 20 after accusing him of espionage, one of his former business associates confirms.
Putin worked as an intern agent in the Tupraş refinery in the town of Alaağa, İzmir, for nearly a year by pretending to be a senior executive of a Russian subcontractor company, contracted to install oil tankers in 1970.The company was engaged in all installment process for four years and left in 1974.
“We had serious suspicions that he could have been a Russian spy. He was the highest-ranking official in the Russian company when he was only 20. A person at this age cannot be qualified to hold such a serious responsibility," said Adem Albayrak, a veteran engineer, who worked with Putin in Tupraş oil refinery.
According to Albayrak, Turkish undercover police detained Putin with a welder of Russian origin when they were apprehended taking pictures secretly in the refinery's restricted area. Both were seriously concerned that they might be sent into exile in Siberia, as they were caught red-handed.
“The welder hanged himself on one of the pine trees in the garden of the home where they were staying. Police found him hanged on the tree.He had apparently been traumatized, as he believed he was not strong enough to stand severe conditions in Siberia," Albayrak explained.
“I later heard that Putin was sent to Siberia after his deportation from Turkey. Years later, I heard his name once again when he took the helm of the KGB, the forerunner of the FSB."
The veteran engineer met Putin in 1971 while Putin was leading the project of installment project. He often saw him visiting the construction site to control the installment process of oil tanks. “He was often taking pictures. Whenever he came to the construction site, he was just dealing with his job. He was keen on his privacy and tried to keep his distance from people," he said.
“He was always spending time with his friend, Turiskin. The mechanical engineer, İlya Neroznak, was the third-number in the Russian company."
Albayrak said he still remembers how İlya was afraid whenever he encountered Putin. “İlya always called him the big boss. I was wondering why a 40-year-old, qualified man was so scared of such a young man. Even, İlya believed Putin was in all likelihood a KGB agent," he explained.
“I was seriously shocked when I heard that Putin was governing Russia as president," he admitted.
According to Albayrak, the Russian secret service wanted to use Putin as a tool to steal US technology because in those years, Soviet Russia lagged behind the States in technology.
“A big US company was also contracted as a subcontractor in the construction of the refinery. So, Soviet Russia must have regarded him as an adequate candidate who was capable of copying the then-sophisticated US techologies," he suggested.
