Israel Confirms Citizens Detained in Turkey Amid Fraud Network Bust

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Saturday that a number of Israeli citizens have been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of involvement in criminal activity. The ministry stated it is handling the incident and working to ensure the rights of the detained Israelis are upheld.

Turkish media reports indicate that nine Israeli citizens were arrested as part of an investigation into a fraud network. Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced the arrests, claiming the network is "linked to Israel." However, he noted that most of those arrested are Turkish nationals, with others hailing from countries considered hostile to Israel, including Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, and Bangladesh. Palestinian, Jordanian, and Egyptian nationals were also among the detainees, alongside individuals from Thailand, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Morocco, Mexico, and Argentina.

The fraud network, according to Tunç, operated across Europe, the Far East, and Africa, allegedly defrauding victims of at least $266 million. He stated on social media that the organized network, which targeted multiple countries, was exposed after it was determined that its central owners were linked to Israel. Searches were conducted at 236 addresses in Istanbul and Muğla as part of a joint operation by the Turkish intelligence agency and Interpol.

Reports suggest victims lost sums ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Turkish Justice Minister explained that the network recruited victims through customer service representatives who spoke various languages. Turkish sources speculated to journalists that Israelis involved in these crimes may have relocated to Turkey due to its complex relationship with Israel, believing it would allow them to evade accountability. One source told Middle East Eye that the Israeli organizers frequently changed the names of their investment companies and insisted that Israeli citizens would not be harmed by the operation.