The National Intelligence Organization of the Republic of Turkey (MIT) arrested seven Mossad agents in Turkey, according to Turkey’s Daily Sabah. Those arrests, made with the assistance of the Anti-Terrorism Branch of the Istanbul Police Department, led to the exposure of a total of 56 operatives, making up nine espionage cells in a “ghost” network. It does not appear that the other operatives were arrested, based on the Daily Sabah report, only identified and exposed.
Those cells were reportedly managed by nine Mossad agents in Tel Aviv, according to Turkish media. The cell’s members were Turkish citizens and Arabs from various countries.
The agents operating out of Turkey were sent to locations around the world, including to Beirut, where they would identify the locations of Hezbollah terrorists. The operatives were sent to Lebanon and Syria to mark targets for drone strikes. One agent was trained on how to put satellite tracking onto vehicles. The operatives were also tracking foreign nationals in Turkey.
Back in May, Turkey announced they arrested 11 members of a 15 person Mossad cell in Turkey. They were accused spying on an Iranian company and 23 people with business ties to the Islamic Republic.
Late last year, Turkish law enforcement and intelligence authorities claimed they detained 44 people on suspicion of “spying on Palestinians” on behalf of the Mossad, and placed seven under full arrest.
Yet also, the Mossad has assisted Turkey in foiling a number of Iranian terror attacks on Israelis on Turkish soil.
Turkey provides safe haven for the Hamas terrorist organization which operates out of Turkey for planning and funding terror attacks in Israel.
