ANKARA, Türkiye — Turkish counterintelligence recently detained seven alleged Mossad agents on suspicion of espionage, Ankara’s National Intelligence Organization announced on Monday.” All seven confessed to working for the Israeli spy agency,” said the local media.
“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, which was in turn part of a larger network consisting of nine cells,”said the reports.
In May, Turkish officials announced the arrest of 11 people for spying on an Iranian company and individuals with business ties to Teheran. 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,”said the then-Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
Six months ago, Irit Lillian presented her credentials to 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, which it uses to orchestrate and fund terrorism in Judea and Samaria.
The President Erdogan has expelled a handful of Hamas members from Turkish soil in recent months.” Turkey “do[es] not see Hamas as a terrorist organization,” said its foreign minister late last year in reaffirmation.
Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate
(Additional reporting provided by JNS Reporter)
Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager
