ISTANBUL
Four of seven suspects arrested for suspected ties to the Israeli intelligence service admitted Friday to connections to Mossad, according to official documents.
Seven of the nine suspects who were detained by the joint operation of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the General Directorate of Security (EGM) were arrested and four confessed to ties to Israeli intelligence, according to a referral letter prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
'Foreign person and company research' request from Israeli intel
The letter said a suspect identified as G.K. has been in contact with an Israeli intelligence division referred to in the documents as "Israeli Intelligence Service Online Operation Center" since 2019 under the capacity of "private detective" and continued contact with foreign persons and companies upon orders by Yuriy Kovalchuk, who was determined to be a part of the division. It also underlined that he fulfilled the instructions for research, reconnaissance and follow-up activities.
G.K., who gained a financial benefit, collected information about six people in collaboration with other suspects identified as S.A.Y., F.S.K., S.Y. and Y.A.D. -- two of whom are spouse and stepson.
The letter emphasized that the suspect also obtained information from the state's database through contacts in public institutions and organizations and shared them with another suspect, M.K., who was detained on "espionage" charges.
It said he shared information with M.K. in exchange for financial income.
The letter also stated that M.K. made 64 payments to G.K.'s account and 35 times to the spouse's account between 2019 - 2022, in return for information.
Records obtained showed that G.K. was in communication with Mossad officials within the scope of the examination of digital materials.
It was recorded that he accepted the situation. It also mentioned in the letter that it was determined that G.K. acted together with the spouse during the follow-up to give the appearance of family.
In the letter, which included evaluations about G.K's spouse F.S.K., it underlined that a large number of and unusual amounts of money movements were determined in F.S.K.'s bank accounts, and that F.S.K., who was aware of the money traffic due to involvement in tracking and information gathering activities, also partially admitted to the findings in her statements.
It was mentioned in the letter that S.Y., the spouse of another suspect, B.Y., participated in espionage by posing as a family and that they placed GPS devices on the vehicles of targets and took photographs.
M.K. detained in 'military and political espionage' case
The letter included information that M.K. was detained within the scope of the case file in which he was tried for "military and political espionage" at the Istanbul 30th High Criminal Court.
It said that although M.K. appeared to be a law firm employee, he obtained personal information of foreign nationals illegally, and shared the information with other S.A.Y, G.K. and detained defendant S.K., who is on trial for "espionage" in the same court. The text said that the suspects transmitted information to Mossad together and therefore M.K. was an important figure in the network.
It was also stated that M.K., who benefited from espionage activities, had an unusual amount of money in a bank account and numerous Historical Traffic Search (HTS) records with regard to communication with other suspects.
The letter pointed out that the evidence was not fully obtained due to the inability to complete the examination of digital materials belonging to the suspects, and requested the suspects be arrested on the grounds that they were a flight risk.
M.K.'s statements were included in the arrest warrant issued by the Istanbul Criminal Court of Peace.
M.K. defended himself and said, "It is impossible for him to spy, he has not gone abroad, he has not received money from anyone, he works with a lawyer, he does not know anyone and he does not accept the accusations."
The judge's decision also noted a Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) report that showed many and unusual amounts of money movements in F.S.K.'s bank accounts and tracked a foreign national in Türkiye in collaboration with spouse G.K.
The letter included evaluations regarding S.A.Y., saying that they collected information on foreign nationals by tracking them based on information from "Igor," who is determined to be working for the Mossad, under directives by G.K.
The judge ruled that the suspects should be arrested for crimes of "illegally seizing or disseminating personal data", "obtaining confidential state information for the purpose of political or military espionage" and "unlawfully recording personal data."
Determining that Mossad is tracking its targets in Türkiye through private detectives, MIT, within the scope of its efforts, the letter said the Israeli intelligence service is collecting biographical information, carrying out reconnaissance and investigation, taking footage and using tracking devices.
Within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was determined that the nine suspects sold information obtained to Mossad through private detectives.
Seven of the nine suspects were caught in the operation carried out simultaneously in Istanbul and Izmir by teams of the Istanbul Police Department Intelligence Branch and the Anti-Terrorism Branch Directorate.
It was also learned that two of the suspects were previously arrested within the scope of the investigation regarding the same crimes.
