Turkey has accused the Israeli secret service of planning actions against foreigners registered in Turkey and arrested 33 people in connection with the plot.

Turkish interior minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the arrests on Tuesday on the X social media platform.

He said in searches that Turkish investigators seized various and large amounts of cash from different countries, an unlicensed gun, a large number of cartridges and digital material.

It was not initially clear whether the suspects had been arrested or detained.

The Israeli secret service had planned to identify, pursue or kidnap foreign citizens in Turkey, the interior minister wrote. There was initially no reaction from Israel to the allegations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had threatened Israel at the beginning of December against going after Hamas members in Turkey.

Turkey has repeatedly and harshly attacked Israel verbally for its actions in the Gaza war.

For its part, the Turkish government maintains links with Hamas, and officials were also said to be in the country.

Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation by the European Union and the United States, but not in Turkey.

(dpa/NAN)