Turkey and Israel, as Pentapostagma has written again, have engaged in a real spy war. On the Israeli side there are not many reports, it is true, as the Mossad always keeps a low profile and does not like to publicise successes or, even more so, failures.
On the MIT side, however, even the slightest success is spread with lightning speed. It is typical that the pro-government press never misses an opportunity to mention the MIT's underground clashes with the Mossad.
In a recent article the Daily Sabah writes: "After months of preparation, a large-scale intelligence operation was conducted in eight provinces in the early hours of the second day of the New Year. This operation, conducted in synchronization with police and judicial authorities, was not the first move against a spy network linked to Israel's Mossad. In fact, the latest move was a continuation of a series of operations dating back to 2021. Since then, a large number of individuals with links to Israel's top spy agency have been arrested and their network, which seeks to conduct provocative espionage activities in Turkey, has been hit.
The Daily Sabah shared detailed reports of the latest operation on Tuesday. Conducting operations in other countries is part of the nature of spy work. However, as part of the nature of the job, it is also about informing and respecting domestic intelligence authorities. In recent times, the Israeli spy agency has not only failed to follow these traditions, but has been working hard to carry out activities against Turkey within the Turkish border.
Ties on flimsy grounds
Despite the diplomacy of rapprochement prior to the October 7 incidents and the subsequent massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, Turkish-Israeli ties have been on shaky ground since the Israeli attacks on Mavi Marmara in May 2010. Moreover, Turkey's firm stand in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and its stance against Israel's crimes in the occupied territories have made it difficult to find common ground to restore ties between Ankara and Tel Aviv. However, efforts to mend ties with Tel Aviv have come as part of a wave of normalization efforts in the region, in which Ankara has actually played a key role as it normalizes ties with influential countries in the region, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia. Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Armenia. Although talks with Syria have been halted, there are also efforts to normalize relations with Greece in the context of the new and multi-dimensional foreign policy formulation.
Normalisation cannot take place when there is no compromise and normalisation does not bring mutual benefits. Moreover, their regional impacts should also be well calculated. What kind of normalization can happen with Syria when the regime turns a blind eye to terrorist activities within its borders and expects the Turkish authorities to remain inactive in the face of threats to its sovereignty? Similarly, how can a normalization between Ankara and Tel Aviv survive when the latter commits crimes at all levels against Palestinians in Gaza and all other parts of the occupied territories, let alone Mossad's spying activities inside Turkey?
It is no longer a secret that the strength and capacity of the Turkish intelligence services have improved significantly in recent years. The operational activity of the National Intelligence Service (MIT) both at home and abroad has yielded significant results in the country's fight against the terrorist activities of the PKK and the Gulenist terrorist group (FETÖ), drug barons and gangs and other criminal activities. In addition, successful operations were able to thwart and limit the activities of foreign spy agencies within the country. And it should come as no surprise that these operations will continue with determination. However, these operations should not be seen as mere intelligence activities by Ankara and should be considered part of the principled "One Minute" movement.
The stance of One Minute against Israeli crimes is fundamental. It is not mere political rhetoric. Rather, it stands on a larger scale against global injustices and systemic errors on a larger scale. It is a stand that raises voices against the dysfunctions of the institutions of global governance and calls for reform through the slogan "The world is bigger than five".
One Minute Against Espionage should be read through an approach that seeks an international system that favors the just and equitable, not one that serves the interests of the powerful at the expense of others.
Thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on the first day of the New Year to honour the fallen Turkish soldiers in the fight against terrorism and the Palestinians in Gaza under incessant Israeli attacks. A loud voice was raised, "for a just future". And this just future is possible if the international community can unite against injustices through international institutions that protect and support the 'right' and not just the 'strong'."
