Escalation: Turkey Announces Arrest Of Mossad Agent In Istanbul
Turkish security officials announced on Tuesday the arrest of Liridon Rexhepi, a Kosovan national identified by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) as the head of Mossad’s financial network in Turkey.
Citing security sources, Turkish media revealed Rexhepi "was transferring money to Mossad’s field agents in Turkiye who filmed Mossad targets with drones, led psychological operations against Palestinian politicians, and gathered intelligence about the Syrian field."
MIT reportedly discovered Rexhepi after "detecting irregularities in his financial accounts," which showed "countless" transfers to Mossad field agents in the country via Western Union.
During interrogation, the financier also reportedly admitted that funds from Kosovo were transferred to sources in Syria using cryptocurrencies.
Rexhepi was placed under MIT surveillance upon entering Turkey on August 25 before being detained in Istanbul last Friday in a joint operation with the Istanbul police. He was formally arrested on Tuesday.
Since the start of the year, Turkish authorities have detained and charged dozens of suspected Mossad agents, most of whom were Turkish nationals. Seven suspects were detained in January, six people were charged in March, and two others were arrested in April.
Following the January arrests, Anadolu Agency (AA) cited a prosecution document as saying the Israeli intelligence operation targeted "Palestinian nationals and their families ... within the scope of the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict." In July, a Turkish prosecutor announced plans to seek up to 20 years in prison for 57 suspects charged with spying for the Mossad.
Turkish media has been showing the alleged Mossad agent's face all day Tuesday...
📌MİT'in çalışmalarıyla MOSSAD'ın Türkiye'deki para ağını yönettiği belirlenen ve İstanbul Emniyet Müdürlüğü TEM Şubesince gözaltına alınan Liridon Rexhepi tutuklandı.#GünOrtası'nda @hulyahokenek konuğu, BAU SAM Başkanı @abdullahagar2 ile konuştu. pic.twitter.com/aafgOAo9Br
— Habertürk TV (@HaberturkTV) September 3, 2024
The indictment said the Israeli agency created a remote, online operation team through mobile applications to provide remote sources, transfer money via live couriers, and carry out tactical operations against its targets in the field.