Former head of Israel's national Security Council retired general Giora Eiland said on Tuesday that he thinks an Iranian terror squad was already in Turkey to target Israelis.
Eiland told Ynet in an interview that the wording of Israel's warning to civilians to avoid unnecessary travel to Turkey indicates that security agencies are convinced there is a credible and immediate threat.
"The immediacy of the warning and its tone shows that it is based on concrete information regarding not only an intent but also the ability to carry out an attack," he said. "In other words, Israeli intelligence either knows or estimates that an Iranian squad is already in Turkey to launch an attack against Israelis," Eiland said.
On Monday, the Prime Minister's Office, issues a statement from the National Security Council warning against travel to Turkey as well as other countries bordering Iran, because of possible Iranian attacks against Israelis.
The warning also included an urging for Israelis when in those countries, to exercise extreme caution and avoid calling attention to themselves and their identities when in public venues including hotels and restaurants.
After the assassination last week, of a high-ranking member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Col. Hassan Khodaei outside his Tehran home Iranian officials who blamed Israel for the killing, vowed to avenge his death.
Eisland said that based on his experience at the head of the NSC, the decision to issue a serious travel warning has economic and international ramifications.
The former official also said that while Israeli operations against the Iranian nuclear program have been consistent over many years, the targeting of Iranians who are not directly involved in the nuclear effort, could force Iran to take more brazen steps against Israel and Tehran can cause great harm.
"Israelis are always congratulating themselves over a particular achievement but some are not necessarily strategically wise, Eiland said. "I hope there is sufficient consideration before any action is taken," he said.