Two persons suspected of being Israeli Intelligence spies were detained in a joint operation by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Istanbul police.
This was disclosed by Turkish authorities on Friday.
Since January, Turkish authorities have detained or arrested and charged dozens of people suspected of having ties to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Six people were charged last month.
“Operation MOLE-3” was launched against eight people who were suspected of collecting data and documents about some Turkish individuals and companies for Israeli intelligence agents.
The country’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya made these revelations on Friday on his official X page.
Turkish and Israeli leaders have exchanged public banters since Israel’s war on the Palestinian resistance group Hamas began in October. Turkey had warned Israel of “serious consequences” if it tries to hunt down Hamas members living outside the Palestinian territories, including in Turkey.
Turkey maintains links with the Hamas movement and rejects classifying Hamas as terrorists, unlike European countries and the United States.Therefore, Ankara is concerned Mossad is recruiting operatives on Turkish territory to target foreign nationals, with media reports saying certain Hamas members are in the country.
Yerlikaya while sharing a video purporting to show the arrests, accompanied by dramatic background music said “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. We are following!”
