Istanbul — Turkish police arrested the head of the Mossad intelligence agency’s financial network in Turkey. According to state media reports, Liridon Rexhepi was detained by the Istanbul police on August 30 based on allegations of financial transactions carried out on behalf of Mossad.
Details of Arrest and Investigation
Following his court hearing, Rexhepi was formally arrested after he confessed to charges against him. The Turkish intelligence agency, MIT, tracked Rexhepi since the latter arrived in Turkey on August 25. He was an executive in charge of Mossad’s financial operations, transferring large amounts of money through the Western Union into the accounts of Mossad field agents in Turkey.Financial Operations and Surveillance Activities
The revelations in MIT’s expos also found Rexhepi running a drone surveillance and psychological operation against Palestinian politicians. Financial tracking showed funds from Kosovo, remitted by Mossad agents in Turkey, were further remitted to Syria through Western Union and cryptocurrency.Crackdown by Turkish Authorities on Israeli Intelligence Operations
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one of the strongest voices against Israel, condemning its airstrikes against Gaza and branding them genocide. Recently, Turkey took action against Israeli intelligence activities, having detained several persons, private investigators included, for allegedly collecting data on Palestinians in Turkey on behalf of Mossad.Besides these arrests, Turkey has made severe diplomatic moves against Israel, including the freezing of trade and an international legal call for action over alleged genocide in Gaza. Relations between Turkey and Israel had warmed up when both countries reappointed their ambassadors in 2022, but all that has dramatically reversed with the recent escalation.
Broader Implications
In January, the Turkish police arrested 33 people in a country-wide sweep of suspected Israeli spies; since then, several more have been arrested. The bold move by Turkey against Israeli intelligence operations underlines the growing divide between the two nations.