Turkish authorities have arrested 15 people on charges of conducting espionage for Israel’s Mossad, Deutsche Welle’s Turkish edition reported on Saturday.
Thirty-four suspects were apprehended in a coordinated operation across eight provinces surrounding İstanbul on Tuesday, according to the DHA and Anadolu news agencies.
Their alleged activities included planning abductions and gathering intelligence.
Turkish security forces are continuing their search for an additional 13 individuals implicated in the espionage ring.
These developments follow reports of Israel’s plans to assassinate members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas living abroad.
Ronen Bar, head of Israel’s Shin Bet, has publicly stated Israel’s intention to target Hamas leaders globally, including in Turkey, Qatar and Lebanon.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned of severe repercussions if Israel targets Hamas members in Turkey.
In December 2022 a Turkish court arrested seven out of 44 people who were detained on suspicion of spying on Palestinians in Turkey for Mossad.
The current detainees, after undergoing medical checks, were transferred to the Çağlayan Courthouse in İstanbul.
According to Anadolu, 26 of the 34 suspects were referred to the court on charges of espionage.
Eight suspects are reportedly set for deportation.
Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States label Hamas as a terrorist organization. New Zealand and Paraguay classify only its military wing as such. Brazil, China, Egypt, Iran, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Syria and Turkey do not consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
NATO member Turkey’s Western allies have time and again criticized what they see as the government of President Erdoğan providing a safe haven for Hamas officials and members.
Israel began pounding the Palestinian enclave of Gaza after Hamas militants carried out an unprecedented surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7 that claimed 1,200 lives.
Israeli air and ground attacks in Gaza have resulted in at least 22,500 deaths since October 7 in addition to causing massive destruction in the enclave.
