Seven Suspected Mossad Agents Arrested by Turkish Counterintelligence
Turkish counterintelligence recently detained seven alleged agents of Mossad — Israel’s national intelligence agency — on suspicion of espionage, Ankara’s National Intelligence Organization announced Monday.
“All seven confessed to working for the Israeli spy agency,” pro-government local media said.
“The men are believed to have spied on ‘non-Turkish nationals.'”
The suspects, who carried passports of various Middle Eastern countries, were reportedly members of a 56-member team.
That, in turn, was part of a larger network consisting of nine cells, the reports said.
Mossad operatives conducted various operations including marking targets for later strikes and spying on Hezbollah’s military leadership, according to the Turkish report.#Turkey | #Israel | #Mossad https://t.co/LmJqdjvAdA
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) July 3, 2023
In May, Turkish officials announced the arrest of 11 people for spying on an Iranian company and individuals with business ties to Tehran.
At least one member of the cell received training in Israel, reports said at the time.
Jerusalem and Ankara last summer announced the restoration of full diplomatic ties.
The move would “contribute to deepening ties between the two peoples, expanding economic, trade and cultural ties, and strengthening regional stability,” then-Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said.
Six months ago, Irit Lillian presented her credentials to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, becoming the first Israeli ambassador to Turkey since 2018.
However, significant points of contention between the two countries remain.
Most notably, Hamas maintains its operational headquarters on Turkish soil, using it to orchestrate and fund terrorism in Judea and Samaria.
Erdogan has expelled a handful of Hamas members from Turkish soil in recent months.
Turkey’s foreign minister said late last year that the country does not see Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate.
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