Turkish officials have arrested a total of six suspects in an ongoing probe into a cell of 15 operatives caught spying for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, according to a report in the Sabah newspaper.
The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office of Istanbul has been investigating political and military espionage since a National Intelligence Organization (MİT) bust apprehended a group of 11 individuals in Istanbul last week on charges of gathering intelligence on behalf of Israel.
After taking their statements, the prosecution on Tuesday approved the release of seven suspects and referred four others – Cenk B., Emre B., Cengiz Ç., and Ayhan Ş. – to the Penal Court of Peace on charges of “obtaining state information meant to remain secret for political or military espionage.”
Wednesday’s order has raised the number of arrests to six, including the network’s ringleader Selçuk Küçükkaya, who worked at Mossad between 2018-2022 and his aide Musa Kuş.
The Israeli agency reportedly got in contact with Küçükkaya via Serkan Özdemir, a former Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) personnel who fled Türkiye to dodge prosecution for being a member of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), Turkish authorities said.
Küçükkaya, trained in Europe by Mossad executives, was found to be using the codename “Taner Sezgin” while he and his team spied on a company and 23 individuals with trade ties to Iran and targeted by Israel.
The cell watched the homes and workplaces of the said individuals’ families and leaked information to Mossad about their flights to and from abroad, phone conversations and signals, bank accounts and properties.
Küçükkaya and his accomplices were caught when he mailed a threatening package to one of his targets, who filed a complaint. Two operatives who fled during the MİT operation are still being pursued.
The last time the Turkish agency busted a Mossad cell in Türkiye was in December, as some seven people found spying on Palestinians in the country were arrested. The agency had informed that the suspects were helping Mossad launch online defamation campaigns and threats against Palestinians.
The MİT, in cooperation with Turkish police, has uncovered a string of espionage networks in recent years, including one working for Russia, and thwarted a plot by Iran to assassinate Israeli citizens in Türkiye. Operations have also led to the discovery of a story by Iranian intelligence operatives to kidnap Iranian dissidents who took shelter in Türkiye.
