A suspected agent of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, has been arrested in Turkey. The operation was carried out by the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) in collaboration with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Istanbul Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department.
The agent, identified as Serkan Cicek, was discovered to be in contact with Faisal Rashid, who is affiliated with Israel’s online operations center. Rashid allegedly tasked Cicek with surveilling a Palestinian activist who has been critical of Israel’s stance in the Middle East.
It was also revealed that Cicek, whose original name is Muhammed Fatih Keles, changed his name to evade significant business debts. He ceased his business activities and established the Pandora Detective Agency in 2020, subsequently working as a private investigator.
During his investigative work, Cicek associated with Musa Kus and lawyer Tugrulhan Dip. Kus, currently imprisoned on charges of spying for Israel, aided Cicek and his associates in obtaining private information from public sources. Cicek reportedly collaborated with both Kus and Dip in his espionage activities.
Following Cicek’s involvement, Mossad agents initiated contact. On July 31, Faisal Rashid, presenting himself as an employee of a foreign law firm, contacted Cicek via WhatsApp.
Rashid offered Cicek a mission involving four days of surveillance of a Palestinian activist residing in Basaksehir. In exchange, Rashid provided a payment of $4,000 in cryptocurrency on August 1. Cicek accepted the offer.
This incident has caused considerable concern within Turkey, which has long been a supporter of Hamas and the Palestinian cause. The potential escalation of Mossad operations within Turkey raises concerns about the possible spread of instability.
Some analysts suggest that this incident could be a wake-up call for President Erdogan. The strong commercial ties between Turkey and Israel, including the passage of Israeli oil and gas through Turkey, make Mossad’s actions a matter of concern for these important relationships.