According to official media sources, a Turkish court issued an order yesterday (Friday) for the arrest of 15 individuals and the deportation of eight others suspected of links to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and targeting Palestinians living in Turkey. Earlier this week, Turkish authorities arrested 34 people after Israel was warned of “severe consequences” if it attempted to pursue members of Hamas living outside Palestinian territories, including Turkey. Unlike most of its Western allies, Turkey does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
The police raided locations in eight provinces to apprehend the suspects as part of an investigation conducted by the Turkish intelligence service and the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office’s Anti-Terrorism Bureau.
Turkey has strongly criticized Israel for its bombing of Gaza in the war with Hamas, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have recently exchanged public criticisms.
Turkish authorities recently detained 33 people suspected of spying on behalf of Israel’s Mossad security service. The operation, which involved raids in Istanbul and seven other provinces, targeted individuals allegedly planning activities such as “reconnaissance,” “pursuing, assaulting and kidnapping” foreign nationals living in Turkey. This action follows warnings by Turkey against Israel’s threats to attack Hamas officials on Turkish soil, reflecting escalating tensions between the two countries.
The background to these arrests is rooted in the recent deterioration of relations between Turkey and Israel. This decline followed Turkey’s strong criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and its war with Hamas.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been particularly vocal in his condemnation of Israel, at one point comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and calling for his prosecution for “war crimes.” The two nations had moved towards normalising relations in 2022 by reappointing ambassadors, but this detente quickly deteriorated due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya of Turkey emphasized the country’s stance against espionage activities that threaten national unity and solidarity. The recent arrests also come amidst a broader crackdown by Turkish security forces, which included detaining about 500 people suspected of ties to the ISIL (ISIS) armed group in the weeks leading up to the new year.
