2 alleged Mossad operatives arrested in Istanbul spy probe

Two individuals who were detained on allegations of working for the Israeli spy agency Mossad were arrested Monday.

Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoglu, who had been under surveillance for some time and were captured in a joint operation by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Istanbul Police Department, completed their procedures before a criminal court of peace at the Istanbul Courthouse.

The court ruled that the suspects be arrested on charges of "obtaining information that must remain confidential for the security or political interests of the state for purposes of political or military espionage."

It had been determined that company owner Derya, who had been under MIT surveillance for some time, and his employee Kerimoglu were transferring information to Mossad.

Authorities found that Derya expanded his commercial activities toward Middle Eastern countries through Kerimoglu, developed social and commercial ties with Palestinians opposed to Israel's policies in the region, and transmitted the information they gathered to the Israeli service.

It was understood that Derya, who has maintained ties with Israeli intelligence since 2013, held third-country meetings in various European countries with numerous operatives using the code names "Luis, Jesus/Jose, Dr. Roberto/Ricardo, Dan/Dennis, Mark, Elly/Emmy, and Michael."

Investigators determined that Derya communicated with the Israeli service through an encrypted system and following Mossad operatives' instructions purchased SIM cards as well as internet modem and router devices from Türkiye and other countries, sending photos of labels containing passwords, serial numbers, production details and MAC addresses to his contacts.

It was also established that during Derya's most recent meeting with Mossad officials in January, they discussed setting up a bank account for a front company, designing a website, opening social media accounts, and researching potential partner firms.

Following the completion of the investigation, Derya and Kerimoglu were detained in Istanbul on Feb. 6 as part of the "MONITUM Operation" conducted jointly by MIT, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Istanbul Police Department's Counterterrorism Branch.