Türkiye arrests suspects with connections to Mossad

Seven suspects have been arrested while four of them have admitted to having connections to Israeli intelligence, according to Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office

Four out of seven individuals who were apprehended due to suspected connections with the Israeli intelligence service have reportedly admitted to affiliations with Mossad, according to official sources.

Among the nine individuals detained as part of a collaborative effort between the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the General Directorate of Security (EGM), seven were taken into custody on Friday, and four have confessed to having links with Israeli intelligence, according to a referral letter drafted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. 

The letter outlined that a person identified as G.K. has been in communication with an Israeli intelligence division referred to in the documents as the “Israeli Intelligence Service Online Operation Center” since 2019, assuming the role of a “private detective.”

Subsequently, G.K. continued to engage with foreign individuals and entities under the directives of Yuriy Kovalchuk, who was established as a part of the said division.

It was emphasized that G.K. carried out tasks related to research, surveillance and follow-up activities, receiving financial benefits in the process. Additionally, G.K. collaborated with other individuals.

The document stressed that G.K. also obtained information from state databases through contacts within public institutions and organizations, subsequently sharing this data with another detainee, M.K., who faces charges related to “espionage.”

G.K. exchanged information with M.K. in return for financial gain. 

M.K.’s statements were included in the arrest warrant issued by the Istanbul Criminal Court of Peace, where he denied the accusations against him.

The document revealed that Mossad, through private detectives, was tracking targets in Türkiye, with MIT’s efforts confirming that the Israeli intelligence service was collecting biographical information, conducting reconnaissance and investigation, capturing footage and utilizing tracking devices.

The investigation determined that the nine suspects had sold information obtained to Mossad through private detectives. 

Seven of the nine suspects were apprehended in simultaneous operations in Istanbul and Izmir conducted by teams from the Istanbul Police Department Intelligence Branch and the Anti-Terrorism Branch Directorate.

Additionally, it was disclosed that two of the suspects had previously been arrested in connection with the same offenses. 

Source: AA