Israeli Couple Freed From Turkish Jail After Intense Diplomatic Efforts

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A week after their arrest in Istanbul and after intense diplomatic efforts by Israel, Israeli couple Mordy and Natalie Okanin were released from Turkish jail Wednesday evening. The two, who had been accused of spying for Israel after taking a picture near the palace of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, flew back to Israel in a private plane chartered by the Israeli foreign ministry together with members of the ministry who had been sent to Turkey to direct the negotiations with Turkish authorities.

In a joint statement issued by the bureaus of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, the two announced that “after a coordinated effort with Turkey, Mordy and Natalie Okanin were released from jail and are making their way to Israel at this time. We wish to thank the Turkish president and his government for their cooperation and to welcome back the Okanins. We also want to express our great admiration for the Okanin family for standing firm in a complex situation and for their cooperation with the Foreign Ministry. We also wish to offer special thanks to President Herzog for his efforts to help bring the couple back home.”

The Okanins, who both work as bus drivers in the Egged bus company, were arrested last Thursday after filming the president’s palace, which is officially prohibited by Turkish law even though thousands of tourists snap it daily. A Turkish judge extended their remand by 20 days on charges of espionage. The two were housed in different jails and after a diplomatic blitz by Israel have finally been released.

שבו הביתה | השמחה מהחגיגות בבית משפחת אוקנין@CBeyar pic.twitter.com/Zqk3skj2EZ

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 18, 2021

Rejoicing in Okanin home after Mordy and Natalie return home

מרוב ברברת, שכחנו למי מגיע הקרדיט האמיתי:
*נטלי אוקנין: "קודם כל אני רוצה להגיד תודה לבורא עולם. אין על הקב"ה בזכותו אנחנו כאן – חיים שלמים"*

אבי רבינא@Orna12345678 @c_shlomit@regev_miri
ולכל ממשלת המלומניה pic.twitter.com/p2XahmcC63

— דניאלה חרמון (@Daniellalugassi) November 18, 2021

Couple thanking Hashem for their release

The diplomatic efforts were coordinated by Irit Lilan, the Israeli consular director in Ankara who met with Erdogan’s advisor Ibrahim Kalin as well as by Mossad chief Dedi Barnea who met with his Turkish counterpart Haken Fidan.

A senior Foreign Ministry official told Walla news that “we clarified to the Turks that this affair must be ended in order that it not develop into a more severe crisis.” The Turks responded by stating that they had no diplomatic motivation behind the arrest and it was merely a “local affair which had escalated.”

Foreign Ministry officials said that Erdogan realized there was no point in sparring with Israel and that he could even gain from ending the affair in a positive manner. There were no apparent contacts between senior political members of both countries during the affair but in the coming weeks there may be contacts between President Herzog or Prime Minister Bennett and the Turkish leader or between the two foreign ministers.

Diaspora Minister Nahman Shai praised the quiet diplomatic efforts by Israel and said that the discrete efforts of the prime minister and president had enabled Israel to achieve the release of the couple.

The couple’s daughter Shiraz said that “we are at a peak of excitement. We have no words, we are on the clouds. I just want to thank this wonderful country of ours for all that it did for us.” Shiraz also thanked the Turks for the release.