Shahat Tan, a Turkish citizen of Saudi Arabian origin, has been arrested and will be tried on charges of spying for Egypt, Israeli police announced last night.
The 38-year-old former major in Turkey’s army was picked up after a two-week stay in Israel, during which he bought various maps of the country and took photographs of various military installations as well as of Haifa port and the oil refineries there. Upon his arrest he immediately told Israeli police of how he was contacted by Egyptian intelligence agents and sent into Israel.
The Turkish authorities have been informed of Shahat Tan’s arrest and a representative of the Turkish diplomatic mission here has already visited him in prison.
Meanwhile, it is reported that about 10 persons will shortly be tried here for espionage in behalf of various neighboring countries. Also, Ahmed Ali Osman, an Egyptian journalist under arrest on charges of espionage, will be tried for murder for his part in the killing of two wardens during the Shatta Prison break last summer. The trial has been set for December.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
