Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the public was shocked in December by two significant announcements; The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel is planning assassinations against Hamas members living outside of Palestine.
Furthermore, Ronen Bar, the director of Shin Bet – in a recording aired on the Israeli government television "Kan"– stated that "Israel is determined to kill Hamas leaders all over the world, including in Qatar, Turkey, and Lebanon, even if it takes years."
Turkey Responds to Mossad Claims
Following these statements, one of the Hamas leaders, Saleh al-Arouri, was assassinated in Beirut and martyred. The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) was very upset with the Mossad and Shin Bet announcements, expressing this dissatisfaction to the Israeli intelligence and conveyed that "if any actions were undertaken, it would have grave consequences for them." President Erdogan of Turkey, in a public address, stated: "If they dare to make such a mistake, they will pay a very heavy price."
Arrest of Israeli Agents and ISIS Cells in Turkey
The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) subsequently paid closer attention to the cells it was monitoring in the field after the Israeli announcements in December and detected two of these cells linked to ISIS planning operations at the end of December. Abdullah al-Jundi, responsible for the "Al-Sadiq Brigade" within ISIS, was reported to be captured in Aleppo.
It was revealed that Jundi was planning to attack Turkish military bases, and 32 individuals associated with ISIS were also arrested in Turkey. These individuals were planning attacks on Jewish synagogues, churches, and the Iraqi embassy in Turkey. If these individuals had not been arrested, large explosions similar to those that occurred in Kerman in Iran, and Baghdad in Iraq, could have taken place at the beginning of the year.
The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) also monitored Mossad sleeper cells in 8 Turkish cities and carried out operations against them, resulting in the arrest of 34 people from various nationalities. Among these, 15 were detained, 8 were deported, and 11 were released on conditions.
Intriguing Outcomes
I closely followed these developments and talked with numerous security officials. If the Israeli sleeper cells in Turkey are in motion, it means that cells in other countries are also awakening, and similar assassinations as the one that killed Arouri in Lebanon are expected to occur in other nations.
When I delved into the matter of those arrested on charges of spying for Israel, interesting results emerged; for a long time, Turkish intelligence focused on the methods of Mossad and pointed out that they had been dismantled. Thus, the Mossad can no longer effectively operate in Turkey.
The majority of the arrested individuals were of foreign nationalities, and Israel had contacted these individuals via social networks, job websites, and the internet. Many of these individuals were staying in hotels and dining at upscale restaurants abroad, infiltrated into Turkey covertly across the borders with Syria and Iraq.
This method was chosen to avoid falling into Turkish security nets, and it was determined that these individuals were collecting field information and acquiring data, monitoring, and gathering visuals, which is known to be a preliminary stage for serious actions.
The appearance of persons donning turbans, sporting beards, and looking devout among the detainees caused considerable astonishment in Turkey; interrogations revealed that some were unaware they were working for Israel, yet all were working for money.
States’ Exploitation and Diminished Support for Palestine
Israel is greatly concerned about the global support provided to Palestine and may attempt to disrupt it by activating its sleeper cells such as those in Turkey to conduct provocative acts. Additionally, the sudden emergence of ISIS – after a period of dormancy and organizing bomb attacks in Iran and Iraq and preparing operations in Turkey – is highly noticeable. We must not forget how foreign intelligence agencies have infiltrated this group.
Remember what ISIS contributed to tarnishing the image of Muslims and how it led to the establishment of foreign military bases in Iraq and Syria; if one considers the intense demonstrations in Europe in support of Palestine, no one can guarantee that proxy organizations like ISIS or the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) won't carry out operations in European cities. It would benefit everyone to remain vigilant.
