BICOM

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius this morning published an article in which he claims that the Turkish government last year handed Iranian intelligence the identities of ten Iranian nationals who were supposedly spying for Israel.

According to Ignatius, Iranian sources had been meeting with Mossad handlers in Turkey with Ankara’s knowledge. Passage between Iran and Turkey is relatively straightforward. Early last year though, he alleges, the identities of up to ten individuals were revealed to Iran, in what Ignatius’ sources describe as a “significant” loss of intelligence in “an effort to slap the Israelis.”

The article says that the incident reflects how bitter relations between Israel and Turkey had become and may have been one of the reasons why Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was so reluctant to apologise to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who according to Ignatius personally approved the leak. Diplomatic ties between Israel and Turkey were cut in 2010 after the deaths of nine Turkish citizens who were killed whilst trying to prevent Israeli commandos taking over a Gaza-bound protest ship, the Mavi Marmara. It wasn’t until March this year that Netanyahu paved the way for reconciliation by issuing an apology at the behest of US President Obama.

The article says that the United States did not confront Turkey about the exposure of Israeli agents, despite Israel’s complaints. Ignatius also says that Israel has a deep mistrust of Turkish intelligence chief, Hakan Fidan, who they believe is close to Iran. According to Ignatius, prior to the leak, Israeli and Turkish intelligence had cooperated closely for more than fifty years.

Relations between Israel and Turkey remain strained. Although talks took place earlier this year between officials from both countries over financial compensation for families of the Turkish citizens killed on board the Mavi Marmara, no final agreement has been reached.