ANKARA: Turkish authorities have detained two persons spying for Israeli intelligence, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday.
Since January, Turkish authorities have taken action against dozens of people suspected of ties to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, with six people charged last month. Tensions between Turkish and Israeli leaders have escalated amid Israel’s conflict with Hamas, with Turkiye warning of “serious consequences” if Israel targets Hamas members in Turkiye or elsewhere.
In a social media post, Minister Yerlikaya stated that police had apprehended eight people gathering and selling information to Mossad regarding targeted individuals and companies in Turkiye. Of these, two have been arrested, while six have been released on parole. Yerlikaya emphasized Turkiye’s commitment to preventing espionage activities within its borders and vowed to continue pursuit of such activities.
According to a Turkish security official, the raids conducted in Istanbul targeted a Turkish private detective and his wife, allegedly involved with Mossad from 2011 to 2020. The detective met Mossad members in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, maintaining communication through private channels.
The official stated that the detective profited significantly from this involvement and had established a network of nine individuals, some of whom confessed to their involvement. The detective and his wife have been arrested.
There has been no immediate comment from Israel on these developments.
Moreover, in January, a Turkish court ordered the arrest of 15 people and the deportation of eight others suspected of links to Mossad and targeting Palestinians in Turkiye.
