Site icon Middle East Monitor

Israeli couple detained in Turkey to be deported

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 9: Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace on July 9, 2018 in Ankara, Turkey. President Erdogan was sworn in during a parliamentary meeting and later an inauguration ceremony attended by a number of foreign leaders and dignitaries. President Erdogan secured another five year term and increased powers after winning 52.5 percent of the vote in the June 24 snap presidential and parliamentary elections. Under the new presidential system Erdogan will have the power to dissolve parliament, appoint or remove vice-presidents, ministers, judges and high level officials as well as issue executive decrees and lift or impose a state of emergency. Turkey has been under a state of emergency since the July 2016 failed coup attempt and since then the government has arrested, sacked and detain over 100,000 people said to be supporters of religious leader Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan announced that the current state of emergency would be lifted on July 18, 2018. (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace on July 9, 2018 in Ankara, Turkey [Stringer/Getty Images]

An Israeli couple detained in Turkey for photographing the palace of Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are to be deported to Israel on Friday, following a court hearing in Istanbul, their lawyer told Hebrew media.

The pair, both Egged bus drivers in their 40s, were arrested after the woman filmed Erdogan’s palace during a ferry ride, likely not knowing it was illegal.

They were identified by Hebrew media on Friday as Mordy and Natali Oknin, of Modiin.

They were scheduled to appear in a Turkish court on Friday at 10 a.m., where a judge is expected to order their immediate deportation back to Israel, rather than extending their remand, Hebrew media said.

On Wednesday, Two Israelis was arrested in Turkey under circumstances that were not immediately clear, the Kan 11 state broadcaster reported on Wednesday.

The arrests came a month after Turkish authorities arrested 15 people accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

Two Israelis reportedly detained in Turkey under unknown circumstances

Exit mobile version