Arrest of Iranian spy cell in Turkey highlights Tehran-Tel Aviv rivalries

Islam Mohamed

The targeting of an Iranian spy cell in Turkey recently gave some insights into the controversy between Tehran and Tel Aviv and rivalries between them on the territories of other countries.

This rivalry will likely continue for sometime in the future.

The discovery of the spy cell and the arrest of its members in Turkey came as no surprise to some people. These developments come in a long context of the spy war between Iran and Israel.

There was a similar incident in Cyprus, which was foiled by Cypriot intelligence.

These events heighten tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv.

Turkey’s Counter-Intelligence Service discovered a cell set up by Iranian intelligence with the aim of targeting businessman Yair Geller, 75, who holds a dual Israeli-Turkish citizenship.

Geller is known around the world as being active in military industries.

It is likely that the success of the assassination scenario would have represented a blow to foreign investments in Turkey, in general, at a time when the country’s currency and economy are suffering from major crises.

The success of the operation would have also reflected on defense industries. It would have represented a strong blow to Turkish and Israeli intelligence in favor of Tehran.

Geller owns a technology and engineering company specialized in air defense, technology and programming. The same company produces a wide range of military equipment that in turn depends on modern and advanced technologies.

The foiling of the operation came while the cell was in the stage of research, investigation, monitoring and follow-up of the intended target.

It had not reached the stage of actual implementation of the assassination plan.

It is also clear that there is a large Turkish intelligence guard around the headquarters of Geller’s company which is located in the Turkish Intelligence headquarters.