Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Naftali Bennett on Sunday refuted Turkey’s allegations of espionage following the arrest of an Israeli couple in Istanbul. Speaking alongside Foreign Minister Yair Lapid during the weekly cabinet meeting, Bennett said the couple are “innocent.”
“These are two innocent civilians who have been mistakenly caught up in a complex situation,” Bennett said. The PM also added that Israel was working to secure their release. Bennett noted they “do not work” for any Israeli agency and that the Foreign Ministry “will continue to work tirelessly with the aim of finding a solution as soon as possible.”
“I spoke yesterday with the family and we are doing everything to resolve the issue,” Bennett said, adding that he had asked the family “to stay strong, despite the great difficulty.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog also spoke with the family and said that he was “convinced of their innocence.”
On Friday, Turkish officials arrested an Israeli couple and a Turkish citizen on espionage charges for taking pictures of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s residence from the Küçük Çamlica telecommunications tower in Istanbul. Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency reported on Friday that staff from the tower’s restaurant section, who saw the couple taking the photographs, immediately alerted the police. The three individuals were initially detained for questioning and later arrested on charges of military and political espionage.
Moreover, according to Israeli media, Turkish officials are weighing between pressing charges of espionage or charging them with the lesser offense of “engaging in acts that harm the country’s national security.” According to the Channel 12 news agency, the Israeli government fears that Erdoğan could exploit the crisis to extract some sort of price from Israel for the release of the couple. Furthermore, Walla News reported on Saturday that Turkish officials have not yet briefed the Israeli embassy of the arrests.
The couple insists that they had no clue that taking photographs of the Turkish President’s residence is illegal. Furthermore, the couple’s family has rejected the espionage charges and sent a lawyer to represent the couple and also launched a fundraising campaign to cover the costs of legal proceedings.
Their lawyer arrived in Istanbul on Saturday and is expected to work with the Israeli consulate in Istanbul and meet with local lawyers to secure their release.
The arrests could possibly further inflame tensions between Israel and Turkey. Relations between the two countries have soured since the Mavi Marmara incident of 2010, when Israeli commandos forcibly boarded a Turkish flotilla on its way to the Gaza Strip and killed ten Turkish activists. While Israel later issued an apology to Turkey, ties between both sides have not improved and the latest incident could stall recent attempts by both sides aimed at revamping relations.
Israel PM Bennett Refutes Turkey’s Espionage Allegations Following Couple’s Arrest
Turkish officials arrested an Israeli couple and a Turkish citizen on espionage charges for taking pictures of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s residence.
November 15, 2021
Israeli PM Naftali Bennett IMAGE SOURCE: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH 90