Turkey Arrests 33 Suspected Israeli Spies
The Turkish Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that it had arrested 33 people on suspicion of spying for the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. The arrests were made in eight provinces across Turkey, and the ministry said that operations were ongoing to arrest 13 other suspects who are still at large.
Ali Yerlikaya, the Turkish interior minister, said that the arrests were the result of a joint operation by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The suspects were detained in 57 different locations across Turkey.
According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the investigation revealed that Mossad was using the cover of humanitarian activities to conduct surveillance, tracking, attacks, and kidnappings of foreign nationals in Turkey.
The arrests come amid heightened tensions between Turkey and Israel. The two countries have been at odds over a number of issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war in Syria. The Turkish government has accused Israel of violating Turkish sovereignty by spying on its citizens. The Israeli government has not commented on the arrests.
