Turkish intelligence is conducting a manhunt in Turkey, with the help of the Israeli Mossad, after an assassination squad of the Iranian “Revolutionary Guards”, which is trying to eliminate Israeli businessmen and tourists. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered the assassination of Israelis in retaliation for the assassination of the father of the Mohsan Fakhri Zada nuclear program and of Hassan Ziad Hadoui, deputy commander of Unit 840, which is attributed to the Israeli institution.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevluth Chabushulu visited Israel last week, after visiting PA Chairman Abu Mazen in Ramallah.
It was his first visit in fifteen years. The visit was conducted in a good atmosphere, being very careful not to spoil his visit by making anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian statements, and his visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which was defined as a private visit without any Israeli representative, passed off peacefully.
First visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister to Israel for fifteen years. The visit was conducted in a good atmosphere, being very careful not to spoil his visit by making anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian statements.
His visit was another step in the two countries’ attempt to restore relations between them After President Yitzhak Herzog’s visit to Turkey last March.
Turkey is trying to thaw relations with Israel out of economic and regional interests. The main stumbling block that hinders the improvement of relations for Israel remains the branch of Hamas ‘military wing, which operates in Istanbul and directs Hamas’ terrorist activities in the West Bank. Turkey outright rejects Israel’s request to close the offices of this branch and expel Hamas operatives engaged in terrorist activities.
Now a new situation has arisen that could have an important impact on the attempt to restore Israel’s relations with Turkey.
Following the assassination of Iranian Colonel Hassan Ziad Khodai, deputy unit 840 of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which is attributed to the Israeli institution, Iran sent a squad of assassins to Turkey to avenge his death by assassinating Israeli civilians, senior Israeli security officials said.
Hassan Ziad Khodai was a “ticking bomb” in the eyes of the Israeli defense establishment. The unit headed by him was the arm of the Revolutionary Guards abroad that tried to harm Israelis and Jews around the world.
Following the assassination of Iranian Colonel Ciad Khodai, deputy unit 840 of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which is attributed to the Israeli institution, Iran sent a squad of assassins to Turkey to avenge his death by assassinating Israeli civilians.
The head of the Israeli Mossad, David Barnea, has had very good relations with the Turkish head of intelligence, Kan Fidan, for many years. These good relations were an important factor that led to the release of the two Israeli tourists Natalie and Mordechai Oknin, who were arrested last November in Turkey after photographing from a distance the image of President Erdogan’s palace.
The head of the Israeli Mossad, David Barnea, has had very good relations with the Turkish intelligence chief Kan Fidan for many years. pic.twitter.com/edBFcZWREG
– Yoni Ben Menachem (@yonibmen) June 1, 2022
The cooperation between the Israeli institution and Turkish intelligence is very good, especially when it comes to the war on terror. Even at a time when relations between Israel and Turkey were at a deep low, this cooperation continued from mutual interests.
Turkish intelligence has impressive capabilities in the field of counterterrorism and also in exposing spy networks of foreign countries operating on Turkish soil.
Just last week, the official Turkish media reported that Turkish intelligence had arrested, during a raid in Istanbul, the new leader of the ISIS organization, Abu Hassan al-Qurayshi. Probably based on accurate intelligence whose source is not yet known.
Turkish intelligence has impressive capabilities in the field of counterterrorism and also in exposing spy networks of foreign countries operating on Turkish soil.
Just last week, the official Turkish media reported that Turkish intelligence had arrested, during a raid in Istanbul, the new leader of ISIS, Abu Hassan al-Qurayshi. pic.twitter.com/QlbVfr5s6G– Yoni Ben Menachem (@yonibmen) June 1, 2022
Turkey is infested with spies of the Iranian regime and collaborators with them among Iranian exiles. Turkey is home to several hundred thousand Iranians. In the past, Turkish intelligence has arrested several Iranian spy networks that have tried to harm or spy on Iranian exiles.
Cooperation between the Israeli institution and Turkish intelligence is very good, especially with regard to the war on terror. Even at a time when Israeli-Turkish relations were at a deep low, this cooperation continued out of mutual interests
Turkey is infested with spies of the Iranian regime and collaborates with them among Iranian exiles, in Turkey live several hundred thousand Iranians.
In the past, Turkish intelligence has arrested several Iranian spy networks that tried to harm or spy on Iranian exiles, as well as networks that planned to harm Israelis. pic.twitter.com/BPR3bszhQR– Yoni Ben Menachem (@yonibmen) June 1, 2022
Unit 840 of the “Revolutionary Guards” has an operational and intelligence presence in Turkish territory. Turkish intelligence is monitoring its activities, as is the Israeli institution.
The close cooperation between them has in the past led to Turkish intelligence thwarting Iran’s attempts to harm or abduct Israelis on Turkish soil, as in the case of Israeli businessman Yair Geller.
Turkey has so far restrained itself in capturing Iranian spy networks on the ground and has not created a major diplomatic crisis with Tehran, as Iranian intelligence activities have been aimed primarily at Iranian opposition activists. But once they act against Israeli citizens on Turkish soil it is already a completely different story.
The refinement of the travel warning made this week by the Israeli National Security Council regarding the travel of Israelis to Turkey is extremely serious and is based on reliable intelligence. The publication was made after consultation between the Israeli institution and Turkish intelligence.
The Turks were not happy about this, but they also know that if Iran succeeds in harming Israelis on Turkish soil, it will severely damage their relations with Israel, which they are now trying to rebuild, and Israeli tourism to Turkey, which is very important to the Turkish economy.
so, President Erdogan ordered Turkish intelligence chief Kan Padan to act quickly to capture the assassination squad of Unit 840 of the “Revolutionary Guards”Operating on Turkish soil in an attempt to harm Israelis.
The close cooperation between Turkish intelligence and the Israeli institution has in the past led to Turkish intelligence thwarting Iranian attempts to harm or abduct Israelis on Turkish soil, as in the case of businessman Yair Geller.
According to security sources, the defense establishment has already warned about a hundred businessmen, emissaries of various institutions and Israeli diplomats staying in Turkey. The fear is that the Iranians are determined to take revenge on Israel in any case and they will also try to harm tourists.
General Hussein Salami, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, paid a condolence visit to the family of Hassan Ziad Khodayi this week, and promised his family, in front of the television cameras, to take revenge on Khodayy’s assassination in Israel.
Iran has a long history with Israel, it accuses it of killing 6 Iranian nuclear scientists Headed by the father of the nuclear program Muhsin Fakhri Zada.
They also accuse Israel of helping the Trump administration eliminate General Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards.
Turkish intelligence is currently conducting a manhunt for the Iranian assassination squad on Turkish soil, with the assistance of Israeli intelligence. This is a race against time, in which he is tasked with stopping the members of the cell before they have time to harm Israelis.
Turkish intelligence is conducting a manhunt in Turkey, with the help of the Mossad, following an assassination squad of the Iranian “Revolutionary Guards” that is trying to eliminate Israeli businessmen and tourists.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered the assassination of Israelis in retaliation for the assassination of the father of the Mohsan Fakhri Zada nuclear program and of Hassan Ziad Hadoui, deputy commander of Unit 840. pic.twitter.com/u5YW6W886h– Yoni Ben Menachem (@yonibmen) June 1, 2022
Successful thwarting by Turkish intelligence of Iran’s attempts to harm Israelis on Turkish soil would be welcomed at the political level in Israel, and Turkey would be the one to benefit from it. Senior political figures in Jerusalem say that such preventive action on the part of Turkey will contribute to strengthening relations between the two countries. Israel has made gestures in the past in the field of security towards Turkey that cannot be publicized at the moment, and certainly the Turks will demand and receive compensation as well. This is customary in relations between two intelligence organizations.
Successful thwarting of Iran’s attempts to harm Israelis on Turkish soil, by Turkish intelligence, will be welcomed at the political level in Israel, and Turkey will benefit. According to senior political figures in Jerusalem, such preventive activity will strengthen relations
Iran has succeeded in establishing an extensive terrorist infrastructure in Turkey, which it is using to try to harm Israelis. According to security sources in Israel, the targets of the attack are: organized groups of Israeli tourists, permanent places of entertainment for Israelis in Turkey and Israeli businessmen who regularly travel to or live in Turkey.
Turkish intelligence and the Israeli institution are racing against time to thwart the planned attacks.