Attorney Visits Jailed Israeli Couple in Turkey

Foreign Ministry officials expressed hope the Israeli couple arrested for photographing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s home, would soon be released from prison, Israel Hayom reported.

Their attorney, Nir Yaslovitzh, met with Mordy Oaknin in jail. Following the meeting, Yaslovitzh said their appeal would be filed by Friday.

Yaslovitzh said it was thanks to the many efforts of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Foreign Ministry and the local consul that he had been able to meet with Mordy in prison.

Mordy “was very excited to see me, someone, who spoke Hebrew. I gave him strength and explained his situation to him. I explained to him that an entire country is following his story and he wasn’t even aware of what is going on in our country.

“I can say the meeting included quite a few tears, both his and my own. I promised him I would bring him back to Israel, and I intend to do just that,” he said.

Following talks with the Turks, a consular visit with the couple was approved but not yet scheduled despite Israel pressing for that meeting to be held as soon as possible.

Sima Duvdevani, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s department for Israelis overseas, met with the couple’s relatives in Modi’in Monday to update them on recent developments in the case and the steps the ministry intended to take.