Turkey Has Not Approved Consular Visit to Jailed Israeli Couple

Turkey has not allowed an Israeli couple jailed since Thursday for taking a photograph of the president’s palace in Istanbul to receive a visit from an Israeli official. A request by Israel for an immediate consular visit to Israeli tourists Mordy and Natali Oknin of Modiin in central Israel, has gone unanswered by Turkish authorities. A Turkish court ruled on Saturday that the couple, who are both bus drivers, should be remanded for at least 20 days and that they should remain in jail until their trial.  They are likely to be charged with espionage or with a lesser charge of harming the country’s national security,

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not spoken publicly about the arrest of the Israeli couple, nor has he sent a direct message to Israel, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported. The report cited unnamed sources familiar with the case as saying that the next 48 hours are critical for the case and that if the couple is not released in the next two days, they could spend many years in prison in Turkey.  Israel reportedly has drawn up a list of incentives for Turkey if they release the couple.

The couple reportedly were questioned at length on Saturday. They say they did not know that it was illegal to photograph the palace; they had sent a photo of the palace via Whatsapp to family members. Meanwhile, tourists including Israelis have been seen photographing the palace since the couple’s arrest with no repercussions.

Israeli officials have asserted both to Turkey and in public that the couple does not work for any Israeli spy agency. Their arrest comes a month after Turkey arrested 15 people alleged to be spies for Israel’s Mossad secret service agency. Israel denies the allegations.