MIT Foils MOSSAD Espionage Plot: Two Arrested in Ankara
Ankara, February 6 – The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT), in collaboration with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Istanbul Provincial Police Department’s Counter-Terrorism Branch, has successfully concluded an operation codenamed ‘MONITUM’, leading to the arrest of two individuals suspected of espionage for the Israeli intelligence service MOSSAD. Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoğlu were taken into custody in Ankara.
The Recruitment of Mehmet Budak Derya
Mehmet Budak Derya, a mining engineer, established a marble quarry in Silifke, Mersin, in 2005. His burgeoning international trade activities attracted the attention of Israeli intelligence. In September 2012, an individual with the codename ‘Ali Ahmed Yassın’, representing a shell company set up by Israel, visited Derya’s office, expressing interest in a business partnership. Derya was subsequently invited to a European country in January 2013, where he met with Israeli intelligence operatives under the guise of meeting company owners. During this meeting, Derya was instructed by an Israeli intelligence officer, codenamed ‘Luis’, to hire Veysel Kerimoğlu, a Palestinian-origin Turkish citizen, and to report on their joint activities. Concurrently, ‘Ali Ahmed Yassın’ also directed Kerimoğlu to work with Derya.
Tracking Palestinian Opponents and Gaza Operations
Following instructions from MOSSAD, Mehmet Budak Derya hired Veysel Kerimoğlu, with his salary even being provided by the intelligence officers. Derya and Kerimoğlu developed a close relationship and shared every step of their activities with the Israeli service. Through Kerimoğlu, Derya expanded his commercial activities in Middle Eastern countries and established social and commercial ties with Palestinians who opposed Israel’s policies in the region. He then relayed the information he gathered about these individuals to the Israeli service. Derya also attempted to obtain entry permits to Gaza, leveraging his commercial connections established within the framework of Israel’s Gaza occupation policy. He is reported to have sent photographs of warehouses he was looking for in Gaza to Israeli intelligence.
Business Expansion with Israeli Support and Polygraph Tests
In early 2016, Veysel Kerimoğlu proposed to Mehmet Budak Derya that they engage in drone parts trade. Derya, who reported every move to the Israeli service, immediately conveyed this proposal to the intelligence officers he was in contact with. This initiative, which also suited the Israeli service, saw its first samples provided by MOSSAD. It was revealed that Mohamed Zouari, with whom Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoğlu were attempting to sell drones, was assassinated in Tunisia by the Israeli intelligence service in December 2016.
Mehmet Budak Derya maintained his relationship with Israeli intelligence, which began in 2013, until recently. During this period, he conducted numerous third-country meetings in various European countries with several intelligence officers, including those codenamed ‘Luis’, ‘Jesus/Jose’, ‘Dr.Roberto/Ricardo’, ‘Dan/Dennis’, ‘Mark’, ‘Elly/Emmy’, and ‘Michael’. The Israeli service placed great importance on secrecy to avoid jeopardizing their long-running operation. In this context, the Israeli service provided Derya with an encrypted communication system. Furthermore, Derya underwent a polygraph test in an Asian country in 2016 under strict security measures, which he successfully passed. Realizing the gravity of the situation after the polygraph test, Derya became even more meticulous in his activities. A second polygraph test was administered to Derya by the Israeli service in August 2024 at a hotel in a European country, which he also passed without issues, advancing to a higher stage in the operation. Following instructions from MOSSAD, Mehmet Budak Derya purchased SIM cards, internet modems, and router devices from Turkey and other countries, and then sent photographs of the labels containing information such as passwords, serial numbers, manufacturing details, and MAC addresses to his handlers.
Unveiling a Major MOSSAD Operation and Subsequent Arrests
During the last meeting in Europe in January 2026, it was uncovered that MOSSAD was preparing a major operation through Derya. The plan aimed to infiltrate the international supply chain through shell companies established abroad, and to deliver products obtained from designated countries to the end-user by changing packaging and warehouses through three different Asia-based companies. This method was assessed to be a logistical operation in preparation for targeting specific countries and institutions by the Israeli intelligence service.
As a result of MIT’s surveillance, the operation was initiated during the final planning stage in January 2026. Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoğlu remain in police custody, and their processing continues.
Source: dha.com.tr
