Report Says Hizbullah Tried to Kill Israel Consul in Istanbul, Turkey Denies
Hizbullah was allegedly behind the failed attempt in May to assassinate Moshe Kimchi, Israel’s consul in the Turkish city of Istanbul, Italian daily Corriere della Sera has reported.
“Hizbullah was seeking to assassinate consul Kimchi to avenge the liquidation of Iranian nuclear scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi at the hands of the Israelis,” the newspaper quoted sources in Washington as saying.
Turkish intelligence agencies had initially blamed the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for the attempt on the Israeli consul’s life before realizing that Hizbullah was behind the bomb attack, the sources added.
Meanwhile, Turkish intelligence sources denied the Italian report and accused Israel of waging “distortion campaigns in several newspapers every once in a while.”
Other Turkish sources also dismissed the Italian report as unfounded, saying it was fabricated by Israel. The sources noted that three months before the blast, Israel had shut down the its embassy and consulate in Turkey on fear of a possible attack by Hizbullah.
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