Turkey arrests two more people suspected of spying for Israel

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish authorities have arrested two people suspected of providing information to the Israeli spy agency, a top official said Friday, in the latest in a series of such arrests in Turkey.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the suspects allegedly gathered information about people and companies of interest to Israel and passed on the data and documents to Israeli intelligence officials.

Six other people who were also detained in the operation, codenamed “Mole-3,” were released following questioning, Yerlikaya said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We will never allow espionage activities that target our national unity and solidarity to take place within the borders of our country,” Yerlikaya said.

The minister did not provide further information on the suspects. Dozens of people, including private detectives, have been detained in Turkey since January on suspicion of spying for Israel, mostly on Palestinians living in Turkey.

Turkey and Israel had normalized ties in 2022 by reappointing ambassadors following years of tensions. But those links quickly deteriorated after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, with Ankara becoming one of the strongest critics of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

In December, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said that his organization was prepared to target the militant Hamas group anywhere, including in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Israel of “serious consequences” if Israel pressed ahead with its threat to attack Hamas officials on Turkish soil.