Image: The Global Monitor X@theglobal4u
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
ISTANBUL — In a major blow to foreign intelligence operations on Turkish soil, Turkish security forces have apprehended two individuals suspected of spying for the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. The operation, led by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), marks the latest chapter in Ankara’s ongoing crackdown on covert activities targeting its national security and foreign residents.
According to officials familiar with the investigation, the suspects were part of a sophisticated network designed to gather sensitive information through a web of front companies and international meetings. The long-running surveillance operation culminated in a targeted raid in Istanbul, where the two operatives were taken into custody.
Hedefleri TEDARİK ZİNCİRLERİNE SIZMAK olan MOSSAD aparatlarına MİT'ten operasyon.
Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı, “MONİTUM Faaliyeti” sonucu İsrail İstihbarat Servisi’ne çalıştığını tespit ettiği Mehmet Budak Derya ve Veysel Kerimoğlu isimli 2 kişiyi yakaladı. pic.twitter.com/zsoXkkejbc
— Yusuf Alabarda (@yusufalabarda) February 6, 2026
Investigators allege that the captured individuals were tasked with monitoring specific targets—including foreign nationals and organizations residing in Türkiye—and feeding tactical data back to Israeli handlers. The network reportedly utilized business veneers to mask its intelligence-gathering activities, often arranging meetings in third countries to evade the detection of Turkish counter-intelligence.
🇮🇱🇹🇷 Turkish intelligence has dismantled a Mossad spy cell in Istanbul.
The pair were recruited in 2013 and spent more than a decade collecting intelligence on Palestinians and pro-Palestinian activists in Türkiye and several undisclosed European countries.
Follow: @europa pic.twitter.com/eVmPTFynUj
— Europa.com (@europa) February 6, 2026
“Türkiye will not allow any foreign intelligence agency to conduct unauthorized operations within our borders,” a senior security official stated, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “This successful sting demonstrates the vigilance and capability of our intelligence services in identifying and neutralizing threats to our sovereignty.”
The arrests come at a time of heightened regional tension and follow a series of similar operations over the past year. Since early 2024, Turkish authorities have detained dozens of individuals accused of having links to Mossad, many of whom were allegedly involved in plotting kidnappings or surveilling Palestinian activists and students.
The suspects are currently being interrogated by anti-terror units, and legal proceedings are expected to follow shortly. While Tel Aviv has yet to issue a formal response to the arrests, the development is likely to further strain the delicate diplomatic ties between the two regional powers.
For now, Istanbul remains the primary theater for this shadow war, with Turkish intelligence vowing to continue its “uninterrupted” efforts to dismantle any clandestine cells operating under foreign direction.