Turkish authorities have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan, a 28-year-old Israeli cleric based in the United Arab Emirates, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The suspects, identified as Uzbek nationals, were apprehended in Istanbul shortly after they arrived in a taxi, according to Turkish security sources. The arrests were part of a covert operation conducted by Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organisation and police. The individuals have since been extradited to the UAE.
Rabbi Kogan was found dead last week in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced as an abhorrent anti-Semitic terrorist attack. Emirati authorities initially detained the suspects without specifying details before expressing gratitude to Türkiye for its cooperation in capturing them.
The murder has sent shockwaves through the small Jewish and Israeli communities in the predominantly Muslim UAE. The country has maintained a low profile for its Jewish population since the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated in October 2023.
