AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Although the Israeli-Turkish relations have been at their lowest level due to recurrent tensions in recent years, they are going to improve with an expected visit to Ankara of the Israeli president. Over the past few days, reports said, an Israeli delegation including Mossad chief David Barnea, visited Turkey. The presence of the Israeli spy chief means security and intelligence negotiations and this raises questions about the goals of the trip.
MIT and Mossad relation highs and lows
Israeli Channel 12 in a report on February 13 said that despite frayed diplomatic ties of Ankara and Tel Aviv, the cooperation of Mossad and Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has improved in recent years. The report continued that over the past two years, Mossad helped thwart 12 terrorist attacks in Turkey. These claims about the Turkish-Israeli intelligence cooperation come a week after Turkish media reported 15 people had been tried in Turkey for political-military espionage for Israeli regime, and the Daily Sabah newspaper, which is close to the Turkish government, wrote that the suspects, including Palestinians and Syrians, were arrested in October during an MIT operation. "If they are found guilty, they face up to 20 years in prison," the report added.
Ankara-Tel Aviv relations went tense since November 2021 after an Israeli couple was arrested on espionage charges for taking pictures of the presidential palace in Istanbul. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and David Barnea themselves stepped in the case for their release. Barnea personally engaged in talks for the release of the couple with his Turkish counterpart, seeing them released after 8 days.
What are the goals of the visit?
After Ankara said in November last year it was keen to improve relations with Tel Aviv and released the Israeli couple, Erdogan and Bennett held a phone conversation. Shortly later, Turkey said the Israeli President Issac Herzog would visit Ankara in March.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported on 10 February a secret visit to Ankara of an Israeli official and his meeting with Erdogan advisor. Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that a delegation of senior Israeli officials had visited Turkey in the past few days, including Mossad chief Barnea.
"There is good relationship between Mossad and Turkish National Intelligence Organization and this relationship was strong under former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen although diplomatic relations were tense," Israeli Channel 14 said in an analysis of the visit.
The trip to Turkey has its specific goals, including relation boost between the intelligence agencies, release of the espionage suspects, Barnea supervision of intelligence ties with Turkey, and preparation of security grounds for an Israeli president's expected visit.
Additionally, the delegation visit coincides with allegations in recent days of the Israeli media outlets about Iranian assassination plan targeting Israeli businessmen Yair Geller in Turkey. Some Israeli businesspeople recently received warnings recommending to change their normal life and be cautious about possible operations against them. Mossad allegations are aimed at increasing security and intelligence presence in Turkey under the ruse of "countering Iranian terrorist actions" and Barnea's visit is part of this agenda.
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