Three suspects in the murder of an Israeli Arab businessman in İstanbul on Sunday have been captured in Romania, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Yerlikaya announced on X on Tuesday evening the capture of the three suspects, identified only by the initials G.S., T.S. and S.A., in Romania, vowing to fight against criminal groups that threaten Turkey’s peace and security, wherever they are and wherever they flee to.
İstanbul Kağıthane’de yaşanan silahlı saldırı sonrası ülkemizden çıkış yapan G.S., T.S ve S.A. isimli şüpheli şahıslar Romanya’da yakalandı.
Huzur ve güvenliğimizi tehdit eden suç odaklarıyla nerede olursa olsunlar, nereye kaçarlarsa kaçsınlar mücadele etmeye devam edeceğiz❗️… https://t.co/QBbuUjwbx4
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) August 20, 2024
The attack took place in the Kağıthane district of İstanbul late on Sunday.
The 30-year-old businessman, identified as Abdülkadir Anas, was killed when masked assailants opened fire on a parked car, leaving two others injured. Palestinian businessman Fadi M. was seriously wounded in the attack, while Anas’s bodyguard, Eray K., sustained injuries to his feet.
The slain businessman was sitting in the driver’s seat when the attack took place.
The İstanbul Governor’s Office said the assailants left a handgun fitted with a silencer behind when they fled the scene.
In a later statement, the governor’s office said the attack was motivated by a dispute over money and that three suspects had fled the country, crossing the Bulgarian border within two-and-a-half hours of the shooting.
The suspects will be extradited to Turkey from Romania, according to a statement from the İstanbul police, which also announced the detention of four others who helped the suspects flee Turkey.
Sunday’s attack had led to claims about the possible involvement of Israeli intelligence agency Mossad given the fact that scores of people are suspected of spying on Palestinians in Turkey for Mossad.
However, Anas’s father who spoke to the private DHA news agency, denied any political motivation behind the murder of his son, contradicting reports in the Turkish media about Israel’s alleged involvement.
“This was never a politically motivated incident. We are a family far from politics. We are Israeli Arabs of Palestinian origin. We visit Turkey frequently. We don’t yet know the motive for the attack,” the father said.
Anonymous Palestinian sources who spoke to the Gazete Duvar news website confirmed Anas’s father’s claims, saying the slain businessman had nothing to do with politics, that he was a real estate broker and had ties to mafia groups. They claimed Anas was extorting money from businessmen.
Tensions between Turkey and Israel have been running high due to the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Israel has vowed to target overseas members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which carried out an unprecedented attack in Israel on October 7.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been vocal in his condemnation of Israeli actions and policies and has warned of severe repercussions if Israel targets Hamas members in Turkey.
Israel began pounding Gaza after Hamas militants carried out the unprecedented surprise attack in Israel on October 7 that claimed some 1,200 lives.
Israeli air and ground attacks in Gaza have resulted in more than 40,000 deaths since October 7 according to the local health ministry in addition to causing massive destruction in the enclave.