As the Israeli offensive in Gaza continues, Turkish authorities say they have arrested 34 people suspected of spying for Israel. On Monday January 1, tens of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul against “the terrorism of the PKK and Israel”. A demonstration which takes place in the context of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people. Turkey and Israel are at loggerheads.
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With our correspondent in Istanbul, Céline Pierre-Magnani
The intelligence services will have had no respite at the end of the year, 34 people were arrested in eight provinces, accused by Turkish counter-espionage of activity in favor of the Mossad. Several similar operations had already been orchestrated in recent years, reports the Daily Sabah information site.
The Mossad would be involved in attempted attacks and kidnappings of foreign nationals, the Minister of the Interior said on his X account.
While the two capitals have been attempting a diplomatic rapprochement since 2022, the presence of senior Hamas dignitaries in Turkey particularly upset the Israeli authorities.
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After the Hamas massacres on October 7, President Erdogan also attempted mediation to free hostages. At the beginning of December, President Erdogan threatened Israel with “ serious consequences » if Palestinian nationals were targeted on Turkish soil.
While controversies raged in European capitals over the term “ terrorist » to designate the armed organization, the Turkish number one had qualified Hamas as a group of “ national liberation “, but behind the resounding political declarations, the two countries have not broken off their trade.
To listenWar in Gaza: the double face of Ankara, while Israel remains “a strategic partnership” for Turkey