Arrest of 11 Individuals in Istanbul; Turkey Claims to Have Identified a Mossad Espionage Network

Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) announced on Tuesday that it has arrested 11 individuals, including two Turkish citizens, who were spying for Israel's Mossad. According to the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, the national intelligence agency stated that this group of 15 was organized and led by Selçuk Küçükkaya, a man trained in Europe. The report indicates that Serkan Özdemir, a fugitive military personnel from the army who fled after the failed coup linked to followers of Fethullah Gülen — a religious leader opposed to the Turkish government and residing in the U.S. — contacted Küçükkaya and recruited him for Mossad. Küçükkaya reportedly met with Mossad officials who introduced themselves as Jorah Satya, Thomas Alfonso, and Raoul in several European countries and underwent specific espionage training. During this training, he learned methods of covert communication used by the agency, enabling him to connect with other operatives. The MIT report adds that Küçükkaya was tasked with gathering information about a company and 23 individuals with business ties to Iran on behalf of Israel. His team monitored the homes and workplaces of the mentioned individuals and reported information regarding international flights, phone conversations, bank accounts, and properties to Mossad. Küçükkaya and his accomplices were identified and arrested following a complaint from one of their targets, who received a threatening package from them. Other news sources report that the network consists of more than 11 individuals, with 11 arrested in an operation in Istanbul, while two operatives remain at large. Previously, MIT has uncovered a series of espionage networks, including one that worked for Russia, and thwarted Iran's plot to assassinate Israeli citizens in Turkey. This operation also led to the discovery of a scenario by Iranian intelligence agents for abducting Iranian dissidents who had sought refuge in Turkey.