The public prosecutor overseeing the İstanbul trial of 57 defendants accused of spying for Israel has demanded up to 12 years in prison for each of the suspects, the private DHA news agency reported.
The latest hearing in the trial of the 57 defendants was held at the İstanbul 28th High Criminal Court on Thursday.
Among the 20 suspects who were in pretrial detention, 18 were released pending trial and under judicial supervision.
In his opinion the prosecutor said sufficient evidence has been collected to prove that all of the defendants were paid to pass information to an “online operation team” established by the Israeli intelligence service Mossad to gather intelligence remotely through mobile apps.
The defendants are charged with “obtaining confidential information for the purpose of espionage.”
They were allegedly monitoring Palestinian citizens, institutions and nongovernmental organizations in Turkey and helping Mossad smear and threaten Palestinians.
Turkey’s national police department and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) conducted a series of operations earlier this year in which dozens of people suspected of planning kidnappings and engaging in espionage for Mossad were detained. Some of the detainees were later arrested.
These events have heightened tensions between Turkey and Israel as there were reports of Israel’s intention to target members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Turkey.
Turkey, unlike many of its NATO allies, does not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization and has warned of serious consequences if Israel targets Hamas members within its borders. This series of arrests and the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza have further strained relations between Turkey and Israel. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been vocal in his condemnation of Israeli actions and policies.