Operation "Ghostbek 3" came after an Israeli threat to target Hamas members in Türkiye (Turkish Interior Ministry)
Istanbul -
In a development that has been repeated several times recently, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerli Kaya announced the arrest of 8 suspects who collected information about individuals and companies in Turkey and transferred the data and documents they collected to members of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
The details mentioned by the Minister of Interior through his account on the X platform, yesterday, Saturday, show that two suspects were actually arrested, while the other six detainees were released with a decision to pursue judicial prosecution.
Joint work
Yerlikaya explained that joint security and legal work between the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Intelligence Presidency, the General Intelligence Service and the Counter-Terrorism Presidency concluded that the defendants held meetings with members of Israeli intelligence.
He also concluded that they collected information about individuals and companies in Turkey under the guidance of occupation intelligence, and then transferred those documents and information to them.
The minister added, "We are following up and working, and we will never allow espionage activities that target our national unity and solidarity within the borders of our country."
Al Jazeera Net followed the details of the new cell, and what was reported about it from sources in the Turkish intelligence service through local media, and initial details showed that the private investigator Ahmed Ersin Tomlujali and his wife were connected to the Mossad between 2011 and 2020.
According to preliminary information, Ersin Tomlugali held several meetings with Mossad officers who bore fictitious names, and that all the meetings took place in various places outside the borders of Turkey, such as Vienna, Austria, Switzerland, Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin.
Secret communications
According to Turkish media sources, it was revealed that Ersin Tomlugali conducted his contacts with Mossad agents through secret and encrypted means and communication tools, and also received money during his meetings in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.
Details also showed that the private investigator, Tomlogali, involved his wife in espionage tasks and work, before they worked together to form a work cell.
Turkish media, citing sources in Turkish intelligence, revealed that the accused Tomlugali carried out search, reconnaissance, and tracking activities in Turkey, Georgia, Germany, and Middle Eastern countries, according to instructions he received from the Mossad.
She added that the accused obtained official documents for taxis, trucks, and special permissions for commercial land transportation trips in several countries in the Middle East.
The same sources confirmed that they had obtained documents, video clips, and information reports showing that the accused and his team were monitoring several figures residing in or frequenting Turkey.
She explained that the monitoring included collecting detailed information about the targets’ addresses, their families, their property, their friends, their movements, and their circle of communication.
The Turkish authorities announced during the past months the dismantling of several cells working for the Mossad (Turkish press)
Vigilance messages
For his part, Turkish researcher Ali Yusufoglu says that the operation, which he called “Ghostbeck 3,” is the third strike since the beginning of the year, and came after a public Israeli threat to target members of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) wherever they are abroad.
Yusufoglu stressed that such operations came as a response and practical messages to Israeli threats, and that the Turkish government and its agencies express their position and verbal warnings through practical preventive measures and steps.
The researcher continued, "I expect the Turkish competent authorities to escalate and continue this effort, which they treat as an issue of reputation and national security that cannot be tampered with."
It is noteworthy that the Turkish security and intelligence services carried out the "Ghostbek 1" operation last January, targeting 34 suspects in 8 Turkish states, then the "Ghostbek 2" operation last March, during which they arrested 7 suspects, including the government employee. Previous Hamza Turhan Ayberk.
Source: Al Jazeera