An agent of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, has been apprehended in Turkey. The Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) completed this major operation in collaboration with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Anti-Terrorism Department of the Istanbul Police.
The Mossad agent’s name is Serkan Cicek. Investigations revealed that Cicek was in contact with Faisal Rashid, a member of Israel’s online operations center. Rashid assigned Cicek a specific task, which involved surveilling a Palestinian activist who opposed Israel’s Middle East policy.
Investigations also showed that Cicek, despite his real name being Muhammed Fatih Keles, changed his name due to significant business debts. After changing his name, he quit his business and founded the Pandora Detective Agency in 2020. Following this, he began working as a private investigator.
During this time, he met Musa Kus and lawyer Tugrulhan Dip. Musa Kus, who is currently in prison for allegedly spying for Israel, helped Cicek and his associates obtain private data from public records. Cicek worked with both Musa Kus and Tugrulhan Dip in his spying activities.
After Cicek became a spy, Mossad agents took notice of him. On July 31, Faisal Rashid contacted Cicek on WhatsApp, posing as an employee of a foreign law firm.
Rashid tasked Cicek with four days of surveillance of a Palestinian activist residing in Basaksehir. In return, Rashid paid him $4,000 in cryptocurrency on August 1. Kus, who is serving a 9-year sentence, Cicek accepted Rashid’s proposal.
This event has raised serious concerns in Turkey. The reason is that Turkey has long supported Hamas and Palestine. If Mossad intensifies its operations in Turkey, there is a risk of chaos in the country.
Some people consider it an eye-opening revelation for President Erdogan. Turkey and Israel have strong trade relations. Israel’s oil and gas also pass through Turkey. Thus, Mossad’s activity in Turkey could also be a cause for concern for this relationship.