Turkish security sources claim that they have arrested Liridon Rexhepi, a Mossad operative who managed money transfers to field agents.
Rexhepi, a Kosovan national, was discovered after Turkish authorities detected irregularities in his financial accounts, which showed him making countless deposits to Mossad operatives in Turkey through Western Union.
He was placed under surveillance as soon as he entered Turkey on Aug. 25, 2024, and detained in Istanbul on Aug. 30. He was formally arrested on Tuesday.
Sources within the Turkish police claimed that he had confessed to the charges.
Turkey has recently stepped up arrests of Mossad agents, and has arrested several groups of alleged Israeli agents just over the last year. Rexhepi is one of the highest-profile agents arrested so far.
According to the Daily Sabah, Mossad field agents in Turkey facilitate their money transactions through Eastern European countries, especially Kosovo. The Mossad spies also transfer the funds coming from Kosovo to their sources in Syria whom they pay with cryptocurrency.
The Mossad is believed to be significantly increasing operations in Turkey to prevent Hamas from building a support network there or allowing senior Hamas members to flee to Turkey. Their operations in Turkey are believed to have included surveillance of suspected Hamas targets with drones, various psychological warfare incidents, and gathering intelligence on businesses or charities believed to be a front for Hamas.
As the possibility of war with Lebanon and Syria grows more likely, the Mossad is also believed to be working to prevent Turkey from serving as a way to resupply either country, and attempting to clandestinely resume the diplomatic relations that have all but collapsed during the war.
Turkish officials have made clear that Israeli operations on its soil are unwelcome, and warned of severe consequences should Israel carry out assassinations on Turkish territory, against Turkish citizens, or using Turkish identities.