Turkey arrests two suspected of spying for Israeli intelligence
3 Min Read
Turkish authorities have arrested a Turkish private detective and his wife under charges of operating with Israeli intelligence.
-
Turkish authorities detaining the Israeli spy network in Istanbul (Screengrab)
Turkey arrested two suspected Israeli spies on Friday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya revealed.
On his X account, Yerlikaya said that a total of eight suspects were caught carrying out espionage activities for the Israeli Mossad in Turkey. Two were arrested, while the remaining six were released on parole.
"We will never allow espionage activities that are intended to be carried out against our national unity and solidarity within the borders of our country," he said.
According to the Minister's statement, it was found that the suspects shared information gathered on individuals and enterprises of interest to Israeli Intelligence.
İsrail İstihbarat Servisinin hedefindeki Türkiye’de bulunan şahıslar ile şirketler hakkında bilgi derleyen ve İsrail İstihbarat unsurlarına topladığı bilgi ve belgeleri aktaran şahıslara yönelik düzenlenen “KÖSTEBEK-3” operasyonunda 8️⃣ şüpheli yakalandı❗️
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) April 5, 2024
Şüphelilerden;
📌2️⃣’si… pic.twitter.com/bkCSNc7mxh
A Turkish security official added that the raids targeting the suspects focused on a Turkish private detective and his wife, both of whom were linked to the Mossad from 2011 to 2020. The arrested detective had established communication channels under the radar with Israeli Intelligence and met with members of the Mossad in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
He received "significant income" from his work and the information he had been selling, at the discretion of Mossad. He formed a spy network of nine people, including his wife, all of whom had confessed to their involvement, resulting in the arrest of the couple.
Following the launch of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, "Tel Aviv" declared that all leaders of the Hamas Resistance movements across the world have become assassination targets, including those residing in Turkey, Lebanon, and Qatar.
Responding to the public threats, Ankara warned the occupation entity of "serious consequences" if it attempts to target the Hamas officials.
Turkey's history of capturing Israeli spies
Earlier in March, Turkish authorities arrested seven individuals, including a former public servant working as a private detective, over suspicions of providing information to the Israeli Mossad intelligence service.
The detained detective is believed to have gathered intelligence on Middle Eastern entities in Turkey, employing tactics, such as placing tracking devices and conducting surveillance, according to the MIT intelligence agency.
A video released by the Interior Ministry depicted police conducting raids on residences in Istanbul, confiscating firearms, bags of narcotics, and electronic devices.
"We will never allow espionage activities to be carried out within the borders of our country. We will catch them one by one and bring them to justice," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on X.
The Turkish detective underwent training by Mossad in Belgrade, Serbia, and received payments in cryptocurrency, which were not recorded in official documents, as per MIT.
In February, seven people suspected of spying for the Israeli Mossad were arrested by Turkish security on Friday, the state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.
In January, the Turkish police forces arrested 33 people on suspicion of spying for "Israel," who were later also accused of planning and “pursuing, assaulting and kidnapping” foreign citizens living in the country, including members of the Palestinian Resistance.
At the time, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said most of the detained elements were charged with committing “political or military espionage” on behalf of the Mossad.
Read more: Turkey says it arrested Mossad cell working against 'Iranian targets'
