Turkey Captured Suspects in Israeli Rabbi’s Murder, AA Says
(Bloomberg) -- Three suspects accused of murdering an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in the United Arab Emirates were apprehended in Istanbul over the weekend during a covert operation by Turkish security services.
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The suspects, all Uzbek nationals, were extradited to the UAE upon a request from Emirati authorities, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing security officials it didn’t identify.
The men had arrived in Turkey after allegedly killing Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who had been living in Abu Dhabi as an emissary for Chabad-Lubavitch, a Jewish organization. Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization tracked the suspects and coordinated with police to detain them as they left Istanbul Airport, according to the report.
The operation comes despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan being one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s war in Gaza and a ban on Turkish businesses from exporting to Israel.
The UAE confirmed on Nov. 24 that the suspects were in custody following the discovery of Kogan’s body. In a statement Tuesday, the UAE expressed “sincere appreciation” to authorities in Turkey for their cooperation in arresting the perpetrators.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the murder “an abhorrent act of anti-Semitic terrorism,” while the US National Security Council praised Emirati authorities for their swift action.
Initial reports in Israeli media speculated that Iran may have been involved in Kogan’s death, but Tehran denied any connection. Emirati authorities haven’t suggested the suspects acted on behalf of any state.
“We never tolerated and will never tolerate any form of nationalism,” Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Baxtiyor Saidov said on Telegram, adding that his government was cooperating with the UAE and Israel’s investigations. “Terrorism and extremism do not have any borders and nationality.”
--With assistance from Sherif Tarek, Zulfugar Agayev, Patrick Sykes and Firat Kozok.
(Adds background in fourth paragraph, Uzbek minister quote in last paragraph.)
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