Prosecutor seeks prison terms in Mossad trial, 18 released

ANKARA

A prosecutor has requested prison sentences of up to 12 years for 57 defendants accused of spying for the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, while the court has released 18 of the accused.

The defendants are charged with preparing attacks against Palestinian activists in Türkiye and opponents of Israel's policy in the Palestinian territories, as well as providing prohibited information to Mossad for espionage purposes.

The prosecutor outlined the allegations in his closing statement during a hearing at an Istanbul court on July 4.

The legal opinion said Mossad established an online operation team using internet-based mobile apps to gather confidential information remotely.

According to a report by İhlas News agency, the operation involved money transfers through cryptocurrency platforms and couriers.

The prosecutor has requested prison terms ranging from eight to 12 years for each of the 57 defendants.

Defense lawyers argued for their clients' release, citing prolonged pre-trial detention.

In response, the court decided to release 18 defendants under judicial control and also lifted the travel ban for 36 defendants.

It has adjourned the hearing, granting time for the defendants and their lawyers to prepare their defense against the final opinion.

The initial indictment sought prison sentences of 15 to 20 years for the 57 suspects, accusing them of "obtaining confidential state information for political or military espionage purposes."

The decision follows a wave of operations that Turkish authorities have been carrying out for nearly six months to nab suspects who provide information to Israeli intelligence.

Previous investigations unveiled that Mossad recruited Palestinians and Syrian nationals in Türkiye as part of an operation against foreigners living in Türkiye. A Turkish private detective and his wife also confessed their previous links to Mossad and were subsequently arrested.