Eight people, including Iranian nationals, were arrested last week in Istanbul on suspicion of plotting to attack Israeli civilians, a news item welcomed by the Israeli foreign minister during a visit to Ankara today.
The eight people arrested by police and agents of the Turkish National Intelligence Service (MIT), working for the Iranian secret services, had previously been reported by Turkish media.
Weapons were seized during a June 17th raid in the Begioglu area of central Istanbul, according to the Ilhas news agency.
Four days earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid had called on Israeli nationals living in Turkey to leave the country “as soon as possible” for fear of Iranian attacks.
“The lives of Israeli citizens have been saved in recent weeks thanks to diplomatic and security co-operation between Israel and Turkey,” Lapid said in Ankara today, where he met with Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşo .lu.
“Iran is behind these terrorist attacks. The information we have leaves no room for doubt,” he said, thanking the Turkish authorities and noting that “Turkey is the number one destination for Israeli tourists.”
The Israeli press had reported in recent weeks of attempts to attack Israelis in Turkey, citing unnamed sources.
The attacks were thwarted by co-operation between Israeli and Turkish security services as the two countries work to restore bilateral relations in recent months.
Iran and Israel have been waging a shadow war for years, with tensions escalating following a series of incidents.
On May 22, Colonel Sayad Hodai, an officer of the Revolutionary Guards, was shot dead near Tehran. Iranian authorities have accused “Zionists” of being behind the killing and vowed revenge.
Israel and Turkey, for their part, marked a turning point in their relations after President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Turkey in March, the first by an Israeli head of state since 2007.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu, who received his Israeli counterpart in Ankara, paid a rare visit to Jerusalem in late May as part of this diplomatic rapprochement.
Source: Capital
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