Arrest of Israelis in Turkey: Erdogan made an unexpected statement

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a financial fraud investigation for political accusations against Israel, calling the detained Israelis part of a "Zionist network of mass murder." Nine Israeli citizens have been detained in Turkey in a case involving three billion dollars in fraud, though their involvement has not been proven.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a criminal financial fraud case a political character, calling the detained Israelis part of a "Zionist network of mass murder." Turkey is investigating an international network suspected of financial fraud amounting to about three billion dollars. Among the 175 detainees are nine Israeli citizens. According to the Istanbul prosecutor's office, the suspects operated through companies and call centers, promising clients high profits from currency and cryptocurrency transactions. When investors tried to withdraw funds, they were required to make additional payments. The detainees' involvement in the crimes has not yet been proven. Erdogan used the phrase "Zionist network of mass murder," although the investigation concerns financial crimes. Turkish media began spreading claims about possible Israeli connections of the network, but the materials presented contain no evidence of the Israeli state's involvement. Questions remain about the financial scale of the case: it is unclear whether this concerns actual damage or the total volume of transactions.