Yossi Levy, former Israeli consul in Istanbul, denies reports in Turkey last weekend that he was rescued at the last minute from a hotel in Istanbul. Levy spoke to Channel 12 and clarified that he was not present in Turkey at all on this day because he was careful to obey the instructions of the government that begged Israelis not to come to the place.
“I was not there,” Levy Sefri said. “As a diplomat, my friends and I are exposed to many threats when we are abroad. This is a known thing. This is true of the threats that are constantly being made to diplomats, including those in Ukraine, those in Istanbul and elsewhere. As a diplomat, when the Israeli government and the foreign minister say – do not travel to Turkey because it is dangerous, I respect the instructions of my government. “
According to reports, which are denied by Levy, the Iranian assassins stayed at the same hotel where Levy was staying as part of a private vacation in Istanbul. “The former Israeli consul, unaware of the Iranians’ stay at the hotel, was rescued from it in a dramatic operation – and sent back to Israel,” the Turkish reports read.
The Iranian squad numbered eight members and seven detainees were remanded in custody in a court in Istanbul. Their next destination after Levy, according to reports, were Israeli tourists in Istanbul. Turkish media note that members of the Iranian squad have been under surveillance by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) since entering the country, and were eventually caught “on hot, last minute” while also in possession of weapons.
In 2017, Levy was appointed Israeli Consul General in Istanbul. He began fulfilling his role in October 2017, but in May 2018 was expelled by President Erdogan in protest of the killing of Palestinians during the clashes on the Israel-Gaza border.
Yossi Adler, head of the intelligence division at the National Security Council, explained this week why they decided to lower the level of the travel warning: “We examined things in a systematic and orderly manner, and we decided to return to the situation we were in a few weeks ago in all of Turkey. The meaning of the trip warning is medium, the level of threat is medium. I mention that a few weeks ago we were on a similar threat routine, we sharpened it and then we went up to a bright 4 threat level. We have reflected along the way a widespread threat. And in the story of the act at the end, in the arrests made by the Turks, one can understand the depth of the incident, the multiplicity of squads and the preparations that were pushed with Iranian motivation and going out into the field and Israeli targets that have already been marked. “