Istanbul police and Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) detained 44 people on suspicion of leaking information about Palestinians living in Turkey to Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, local media reported on Wednesday.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
According to the investigators, the alleged suspects provided Mossad with surveillance data on Palestinians and their NGOs based in Turkey. Seven of the suspects have reportedly been arrested. A search for another 13 individuals is underway.
My response to @YanniKouts: Turkey is saturated of the attitude of Greeks' hostility which started on 23 September 1821 through massacring Jews and Turks in Mora. Greece is now with PKK as recalled by Kalenderidis' supervision on Öcalan, or Lavrion camp in Athens. @i24NEWS_EN https://t.co/kKA77QyBYo
— Murat Aslan (@dr_murat_aslan) December 9, 2022
Among those detained are members of a private investigators' association and a university professor. The interrogated suspects reportedly confirmed that they were paid to give Mossad information that was used to launch online campaigns against Palestinian expats in Turkey.
The Daily Sabah, a Turkish outlet, reported that "Turkish authorities have been investigating Istanbul-based 'consulting companies,' which offered private investigation services for their customers for a while via their contacts with the Israeli agency. Mossad paid suspects to run surveillance on Palestinians and their nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Türkiye, according to investigators. An operation was launched earlier this week against the suspects. Interrogated suspects' statements revealed that their work helped Mossad to launch online defamation campaigns and threats against Palestinians."
Earlier in June, Turkish authorities arrested members of Iranian terrorist cells who planned attacks on Israelis in Istanbul. The operation was carried out in cooperation with Mossad and was praised by Israel's Defense Ministry.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
