Jan 02, 2024 at 1:17 pm
Turkey suspects 33 people of espionage activities for the Israeli intelligence service Mossad. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported this on Tuesday X. The group is also said to have prepared kidnappings.
Led by the public prosecutor and the Turkish secret service MIT, the police raided 57 locations in eight provinces during the night from Monday to Tuesday. A firearm, information carriers and large sums of foreign money were seized.
According to Yerlikaya, the 33 suspects planned to monitor and possibly kidnap foreigners on Turkish soil. The Turkish authorities then initiated Operation Mol. According to the minister, thirteen people are still being sought as part of the investigation.
The head of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security service said last month that Israel will not hesitate to hunt down Hamas leaders in countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar. Turkey then said that such a step on Turkish soil would have “serious consequences”.
Israel has been under fire in Turkey for a long time
The police action may further strain the relationship between Turkey and Israel. This has deteriorated considerably since the outbreak of the war between Hamas and Israel. For example, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.
There have also been demonstrations in Turkey for weeks against Israeli action in Gaza. At the end of October, Erdogan mobilized hundreds of thousands of people for a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Istanbul. Tens of thousands of people gathered again on Monday in the Turkish metropolis to condemn Israel for the violence in Gaza.
In addition, Erdogan has increased his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks. While Netanyahu previously had “blood on his hands”, Erdogan described the Israeli prime minister last week as “no different from Adolf Hitler”.
Netanyahu responded to Erdogan’s statement by stating that “someone who commits genocide against the Kurds and detains journalists is the last person who should preach morality to others.”
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Istanbul on Monday against “the killer Israel” following the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. Photo: AP
2024-01-02 12:17:03
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