Seven suspects accused of selling information to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad were detained in a joint operation by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Istanbul police, authorities said Tuesday. The suspects included a private investigator.
Last month, Turkish authorities apprehended another seven suspects accused of selling information to Mossad in operations by MIT and Istanbul police. That operation was followed by another investigation earlier that netted 34 suspects, including foreign nationals recruited by Mossad to spy on Palestinian targets in Türkiye.
Security sources said one of the suspects was H.T.A, who works as a private investigator. 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.
Sources said a Mossad operative code-named "Victoria" contacted H.T.A., and he was first assigned "simple tasks." The Turkish man was later trained in Belgrade by Mossad operatives in 2019. He was also instructed to use an encrypted messaging app to contact the operatives. Security sources said he was paid in cryptocurrency to hide the money transfers.
H.T.A. was also involved in "threats" and "stalking" involving his targets. He fitted tracking devices in the vehicles of his targets and conveyed up-to-date information about their whereabouts to Mossad.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a social media post that Istanbul police's counterterrorism and intelligence units collaborated with MIT in the operation dubbed "Mole-2."
"We will never allow espionage activities within our borders," Yerlikaya said as he shared a video of the operations to capture the suspects. Yerlikaya said police also confiscated unlicensed guns, drugs, digital materials and documents as well as devices used against eavesdropping during the operations. Media outlets reported that police found 4.5 kilograms of cocaine in the residence of one of the suspects, who was earlier expelled from law enforcement due to his links to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). He was among four other suspects who were all former police officers. Another suspect was identified as personnel at a local tax authority in Istanbul. The only female suspect among the detainees was working as a private security guard. Media reports said another suspect, a former police officer, was at large.
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.
