A Turkish family of three, along with three other nationals, has been sentenced to a combined total of 100 years in prison for espionage activities carried out on behalf of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Turkish media reported on Thursday.

The Istanbul 23rd Heavy Penal Court convicted Ahmet Ersin Tumlucalı, his wife Benan Tumlucalı, and his stepdaughter Dila Sultan Şimşek, alongside Cem Özcan, Özkan Arıcan, and Fuzuli Şimşek, for espionage and sharing sensitive data with a foreign intelligence agency.

The sentencing follows a months-long investigation by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), which arrested the suspects in April 2024.

Ahmet Ersin Tumlucalı, an insurance company owner accused of orchestrating the network, received the heaviest sentence—22 and a half years, later reduced to 18 years and nine months due to good behavior.

His wife Benan was sentenced to 16 years and eight months, while Dila Sultan Şimşek received 15 years, seven months, and 15 days. The three other accomplices received identical prison terms of 15 years, seven months, and 15 days.

According to the court ruling, the group operated as part of Mossad’s “online operations” division, allegedly carrying out surveillance and intelligence gathering on foreign nationals residing in Turkey, particularly individuals who had fled war-torn countries in the Middle East. Surveillance targets reportedly included Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian, and Azerbaijani nationals.

MIT’s investigation revealed that Tumlucalı had established direct contact with Israeli intelligence officers. He allegedly maintained a line of communication with an agent codenamed “Jorg” via Skype and reportedly met him in Vienna and Munich in 2011 and 2017.

Another Mossad officer, identified as Gavin Alfron, reportedly met Tumlucalı in Vienna and Frankfurt between 2017 and 2020, until his alleged dismissal by Mossad.

Prosecutors said the espionage activities extended beyond Turkey’s borders, with operations taking place in Georgia and Germany, and the sharing of classified Lebanese documents with Mossad.

The indictment detailed that substantial payments were made to Tumlucalı’s wife’s bank account, including one instance in which 300,000 euros were transferred.

Assistance in these covert activities came from family members. Benan Tumlucalı and stepdaughter Dila reportedly participated in surveillance and data collection. Berna Çetin, Benan’s sister, was also named in the indictment for aiding the network.

Nihat Uludağ, Istanbul News Director for CNN Türk, commented on the case, stating, “Mossad has been trying to operate in Türkiye for a long time. Since it cannot send its own agents, it identifies such individuals and forms a local spy network.”

The sentencing comes amid heightened political and intelligence tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv. On August 15, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was seen wearing a scarf bearing the flags of Turkey and Palestine during Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s address to the Turkish parliament, a move seen as symbolic of Turkey’s strong stance against Israeli intelligence activities on Turkish soil.

The verdict is expected to further strain Turkish-Israeli relations, as authorities signal a tougher crackdown on foreign espionage within their borders.