Turkey Arrests 44 Israeli Mossad Spies

The Turkish authorities arrested members of a spy network working for the Israeli Mossad in a joint operation between intelligence and the Istanbul city police, during which 44 people were arrested.

It was found through their follow-up that they were monitoring Palestinian individuals, institutions, and organizations in Turkey, while 13 others were being searched for.

Turkish media quoted security sources as saying that the members of the network were arrested as part of a "special operation against military espionage" carried out under the guise of a consulting company called the "Mavi Eye Association for Private Investigators", during which its president, Ismail Ytimoglu, was also arrested. A decision issued by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office.

According to security sources, 7 of those arrested were referred to court after completing the legal procedures against them in the Istanbul Security Directorate, while investigations are continuing with the rest in the Anti-Terrorism Division of the Directorate.

The Turkish sources pointed out that the members of the network worked under the cover of the consulting company and tracked down Palestinian citizens, Palestinian institutions, and non-governmental organizations in Turkey and handed over reports about them to the Israeli Mossad in exchange for money.