Turkish authorities have uncovered a network of police officers allegedly supplying confidential information to a man arrested on suspicion of spying for Israeli intelligence, revealing unauthorized access to police databases and surveillance of Palestinian activists and Turkish citizens, according to a report by Sabah newspaper.
The findings emerged from the second phase of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Istanbul Police Department's Counterterrorism Branch into Serkan Çiçek, who was arrested in 2025 over allegations of conducting surveillance activities on behalf of Israeli intelligence.
Investigators identified 11 current and former police officers who allegedly maintained direct or indirect contact with Çiçek from 2023 to 2024, providing access to restricted databases and confidential personal records.
According to the report, the suspects included a chief inspector and two former police officers; the remaining nine were described as active-duty personnel. The investigation examined messages, audio recordings, phone records and witness statements.
Authorities found that Çiçek, who presented himself as the owner of Pandora Detective Agency, obtained sensitive information through police officers who accessed official databases without authorization.
In one instance, a suspect identified as Mehmet Nurullah Y., allegedly obtained hotel accommodation records through a colleague's access credentials and passed the information to Çiçek.
The spy monitored the individual's movements and conducted reconnaissance near the person's residence.
Another officer, identified as Şahin K., admitted to secretly monitoring a jeweler for about 14 hours while off duty at Çiçek's request.
Investigators also found that officers shared citizens' identification numbers, residential addresses, family information, vehicle registration details, hotel records and criminal histories through WhatsApp.
According to the report, Çiçek used the alias Serkan Ipek and presented himself as an intelligence operative while visiting government offices in a vehicle equipped with emergency flashing lights.
The investigation further uncovered an alleged financial scheme through which Çiçek established relationships with police officers by promising lucrative business opportunities.
Presenting himself as the wealthy owner of two companies, Çiçek reportedly borrowed small amounts of money from officers before repaying them with additional profits to gain their confidence.
He subsequently persuaded several officers to obtain bank loans ranging from TL 1.2 million to TL 3 million (approximately $25,000 to $60,000), promising returns from food distribution and water purification businesses.
When payments stopped, several officers reportedly faced severe financial difficulties, including the sale of personal assets and accumulated savings.
Police officer Nurullah Y. reportedly suffered a heart attack amid mounting debts and underwent surgery to receive two coronary stents.
Authorities also determined that Çiçek allegedly used bank accounts and cryptocurrency accounts belonging to family members and an associate to conceal proceeds from his activities.
The findings have expanded the investigation into alleged espionage, unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and financial misconduct involving law enforcement personnel.
