Posted on 02/08/22
| News Source: i24
Defendants charged with 'political and military' espionage for the Jewish state
Turkish media reported that 16 people were put on trial in Istanbul Tuesday, accused of spying on behalf of Israel.
The defendants are charged with "political and military" espionage for the Jewish state and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The initial hearings are scheduled to last four days, according to the pro-government daily newspaper Sabah.
The trial is taking place four months after the suspects, including Palestinians and Syrians, were arrested in an operation by Turkey’s national intelligence agency, MIT.
Following the arrests, the former deputy chief of Israel's national intelligence agency, the Mossad, MK Ram Ben-Barak, denied that any of the people were Mossad agents.
Turkey claims that the agents provided the Mossad with information about foreign students from universities in Turkey, with emphasis on those who could work for the defense industry.
They allegedly operated in five separate groups.
Some of the suspects allegedly met with Israeli officials in Switzerland, Croatia, Romania and Kenya.
The trial comes amid warming relations between Ankara and Jerusalem, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announcing last week that Israeli President Isaac Herzog will visit Turkey in mid-March.