JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli officials are working hard for the release of an Israeli married couple that was arrested and charged with “political and military espionage” after taking pictures of the Turkish president’s residence in Istanbul.
Turkish authorities arrested the couple late Friday, setting off a political saga that could see them in custody for years. Police detained the couple after a tip-off from an employee working at the Camlica radio and television tower in Istanbul. The employee told authorities the couple was taking pictures of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s nearby home from the tower’s restaurant, Turkey’s official news agency reported.
Anadolu Agency said a Turkish national was also arrested.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz identified the couple as Natalie and Mordi Oknin. Israeli officials insist they are not spies.
“These are two innocent civilians who have been mistakenly caught up in a complex situation,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday. “I spoke yesterday with the family and we are doing everything to resolve the issue. I asked that the family stay strong, despite the great difficulty.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid also denied that the pair work for any “Israeli agency.”
An attorney for the couple told Haaretz they were taking photographs of Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace while taking a ferry. Parts of Dolmabahce are used as a presidential working office. The couple and their family stressed that they did not know it was illegal to take the photographs.
Israeli media reported on Sunday that officials believe the next 48 hours will be crucial to their release. Israel’s Channel 12 and 13 news agencies quoted officials who said if the situation is not resolved in the next two or three days, the couple could remain in Turkish custody for years.
“We are still working to understand the incident; at the moment we aren’t getting clear answers,” a senior official told Channel 12.
On Friday, a Turkish court ruled to extend their custody by 20 days, leaving Israeli officials worried that the situation will not be resolved soon. Their attorney is working it appeal the extensions.
Efforts to release the couple are complicated because the two countries do not have ambassadors in each other’s countries due to tensions between Ankara and Jerusalem.
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