A suspect accused of selling information to Israel’s spy agency has confessed that he received instructions from Mossad, according to local Turkish media reports on Saturday.
The suspect, identified as H.T.A, said in his testimony that he received instructions from a Mossad spy codenamed "Victoria" and that he tracked, threatened and photographed Middle Eastern individuals and companies, which he reported to the Israeli agency through secret communications methods.
H.T.A, who was among six others captured by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Turkish police last week, also noted that he received his payments through cryptocurrency and various bank accounts.
He said that he met with "Victoria" in Belgrade, Serbia, and that he also kept in touch with other Mossad agents, codenamed "Andrea," "Robert" and "Marc."
Other spies who were in H.T.A.’s team also confessed that they shared information about Middle Eastern individuals and companies with H.T.A and that they recorded videos of the people whom they threatened.
The spies also said in their testimony that H.T.A’s financial status improved significantly after 2019 when he was trained in Belgrade by Mossad operatives.
H.T.A. was a former police chief in Istanbul's Güngören district and a TV personality speaking on security matters.
MIT discovered that H.T.A. leaked information to Mossad for cash and that information was related to people from Middle Eastern countries and companies with links to Middle Eastern countries in Türkiye. H.T.A. is accused of recruiting other public officials to assist him in espionage for the Israeli intelligence service.
Last month, seven other people, including private detectives, were arrested on similar suspicions. And in early January, 34 people were also detained by Turkish police on suspicion of spying for Israel. The suspects arrested in January have been accused of planning to carry out activities that included reconnaissance and “pursuing, assaulting and kidnapping” foreign nationals living in Türkiye. At the time, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said most of the suspects were charged with committing “political or military espionage” on behalf of Israeli intelligence.
Türkiye and Israel resumed frozen relations last year after years of tensions, due to Israel's acts of aggression targeting Palestinians. Yet, ties deteriorated again after Oct.7, the start of the new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict. Ankara is one of the strongest critics of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
In December, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said that his organization was prepared to target Palestinian resistance movement Hamas anywhere, including in Lebanon, Türkiye and Qatar. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned Israel of “serious consequences” if Israel pressed ahead with its threat to attack Hamas officials on Turkish soil.
