Turkey Detains 33 Suspects over Mossad Plot Involvement: Report
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkish officials have confirmed the arrest of 33 individuals suspected of being involved in a plot for Mossad, Israel's spy agency, as reported by the state-run Anadolu news agency.
The operations were conducted across eight Turkish provinces, and authorities are actively pursuing an additional 13 suspects linked to the case. Istanbul's chief prosecutor's office also disclosed that arrest warrants have been issued for 46 individuals in a separate investigation related to an Mossad scheme aimed at targeting foreigners within Turkey.
The suspects are alleged to have been involved in activities such as reconnaissance, surveillance, assault, and abduction on behalf of Mossad.
Simultaneous raids across 57 addresses in eight provinces resulted in the capture of the suspects, while search operations for the remaining 13 suspects are underway.
A counter-terrorism operation, jointly organized by the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and Istanbul Police, nabbed the suspects.
Posing as employees for a consulting company out of Istanbul, the suspects provided information on Palestinians in Turkey to Mossad in exchange for money.
Israel has not responded to the allegations.
Last month, Ronen Bar, head of the Israeli domestic intelligence agency Shin-Bet (Shabak), said in a recording broadcast on Israeli state television KAN that Israel is "determined to kill Hamas leaders all over the world, including Qatar, Turkey, and Lebanon, even if it takes years."
In response, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Tel Aviv of heavy prices amid reports of an Israeli plot to assassinate Hamas members living outside Palestine.
“If they dare to take such a step against Turkey and Turkish people, they will be doomed to pay a price which they cannot recover from,” Erdogan told journalists.
“Those who attempt such a thing should not forget that the consequences can be extremely serious. No one is unaware of Turkey’s progress in both intelligence and security fields worldwide. Additionally, we are not a newly established state,” he stressed.
