The Turkish news agency Anadolu reported on Friday that authorities in Turkey have arrested seven individuals suspected of having ties to Mossad. According to the report, the detainees are suspected of selling information to the Israeli intelligence agency. Turkish law enforcement and the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey apprehended seven out of nine wanted individuals in simultaneous operations carried out in Istanbul and Izmir.
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According to the report, an investigation by the Turkish intelligence agency MIT revealed that Mossad uses private detectives to track its targets in Turkey. These detectives gather biographical information and documents, conduct surveillance, take photographs, follow targets, and engage in covert eavesdropping.
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Turkish President Erdogan and Iranian President Raisi
(Photo: Murat Cetinmuhurdar/ Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY)
The publication today comes less than a month after reports of over 30 arrests related to similar allegations. The Turkish court also decided to deport eight suspects for "having ties to Mossad" and "engaging in activities against Palestinians living in Turkey." Turkish reports linked the arrest operations to statements made by Israel regarding its intention to eliminate senior Hamas leaders abroad. It was also mentioned that the head of the Israeli Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, said, "We are determined to eliminate Hamas leaders worldwide, including in Qatar, Turkey, and Lebanon. This is our Munich."
In recent years, Turkey has announced several arrests of "Mossad agents," according to its claims. The current arrests of suspects involved in espionage for Israel are taking place against the backdrop of the overall deterioration in relations between the two countries, following the conflict against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the extreme expressions of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against Israel.
Parallel to the report from Turkey, the Iranian Defense Ministry published a statement claiming: "A number of spies affiliated with Mossad have been exposed in 28 countries. This operation is considered the largest intelligence operation against espionage and security organizations affiliated with Israel. Unprecedented information has been obtained about these organizations, and it is now being analyzed and examined to extract benefits from it. We have obtained information related to some of the most important secret facilities and non-military strategic industries of Israel."
The Iranian statement further alleges: "Dozens of spies have been discovered in three continents - Asia, Africa, and Europe. Some of them were arrested in Tehran and some in the provinces, while others are still under security surveillance. Several Iranian spies were discovered abroad, and each individual will be dealt with according to their circumstances. Information about the spies was sent to the countries involved, and these countries either arrested the spies or used them for security purposes. The intelligence agency examined the spies through missions related to their countries."