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Turkey detains 33 accused of spying for Israel

January 02, 2024 / 6:03 PM
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya during a press conference
Sharjah 24 – AFP: Turkey announced on Tuesday it had detained 33 people suspected of planning abductions and spying on behalf of Israel's Mossad intelligence service.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the suspects were rounded up in raids across Istanbul and seven other provinces.

It was not immediately clear if they were Israeli nationals or locals allegedly working with Mossad.

Yerlikaya's office released video footage showing armed security service agents breaking down doors and handcuffing suspects in their homes.

The Istanbul public prosecutor's office said 13 additional suspects remained at large.

The raids came weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned of "serious consequences" should Israel attempt to target figures from Palestinian militant group Hamas living or working in Turkey.

"There is an insidious operation and sabotage attempts being made against Turkey and its interests," Erdogan said after the raids were announced.

"We will definitely destroy this game," he said in televised remarks.

January 02, 2024 / 6:03 PM

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