Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid attends a cabinet meeting in the office of the Prime Minister in Jerusalem on May 15, 2022. Abir Sultan / Poole via REUTERS / File Photo
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JERUSALEM, June 13 (Reuters) – Israel on Monday raised its travel recommendations to Istanbul to the highest level, saying it threatened Iran’s attempts to kill or abduct Israelis vacationing in Turkey.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said “the enormous efforts” of the Israeli security forces had saved “the lives of Israelis in recent weeks” and thanked the Turkish government for its contribution.
He did not give more details. An Israeli security official told Reuters that Turkey had arrested several suspected “operatives” of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
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Turkish officials and the Iranian embassy in Ankara did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
“We urge Israelis not to fly to Istanbul – and if you don’t have a vital reason, don’t fly to Turkey. If you’re already in Istanbul, return to Israel as soon as possible,” Lapid said in a television statement.
“These terrorist threats are aimed at a vacation for Israelis. “They choose, in a random but deliberate way, Israeli citizens in order to kidnap or kill them,” he said.
“I want to convey a message to the Iranians from here. Whoever hurts the Israelis will not escape. Israel’s long arm will catch them, no matter where they are.”
Tehran has vowed to avenge Israel, which blames Hassan Sayyad Hodai, a colonel in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, on May 22 for shooting two people on a motorcycle behind the wheel of his car. Read more
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for its standard policy on murder charges. He accused Hodai of planning attacks on his citizens around the world.
Turkey is a popular tourist destination for Israelis. The two sides are repairing ties after more than a decade of strained relations. Read more
The improved advice does not apply to Israelis on flights staying in Istanbul “until they leave the airport,” a statement from the Israeli National Security Council said.
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Additional reports from Tuvan Gumrukju in Ankara; Writing by Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Edited by John Boyle and Deep Babington
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.
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