The Israeli couple detained in Turkey for photographing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's home have returned to Israel.
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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid said Natalie and Mordy Oknin were en route to Israel in a joint statement early Thursday morning.
Bennett and Lapid also thanked Erdogan for his efforts to secure their release.
A senior diplomatic official told Israel Hayom, "Erdogan's intervention brought the incident to an end."
As soon as Erdogan's office was made aware of the incident, a process that allowed for their release was kicked into motion, according to a diplomatic official. They said Erdogan was personally responsible for the conclusion of the incident.
As soon as his office was made familiar with the case, his representatives gave the all-clear to wrap things up. That, according to the official, is when things took a turn for the better.
According to the official, Lapid and Bennett made the decision to maintain a low-profile when it came to Israel efforts to secure the couple's release. They and their officials also maintained ongoing ties with the Oknins' children. As a result, family members did not launch a public campaign. Politicians were also asked to refrain from making public statements on the better. The assessment is that this approach aided in securing the Oknins' release.
Bennett also enlisted all available resources to the effort. According to foreign reports, Mossad chief David Barnea spoke with his Turkish counterpart and gave his word the Oknins' were not intelligence agents. This proved consequential to their case, officials believe.
A diplomatic official said Barnea "works quietly and works very well. Cooperation between them [him and Bennett] was excellent."
Israel also updated the US and several other countries on the incident. The thinking was that Israel might need to enlist their help in the effort , although this did not ultimately prove necessary.
In a joint statement, Bennett and Lapid said, "We would like to express our great appreciation to the Oknin family for staying strong in a complex situation, as well as for the open and warm cooperation with the Foreign Ministry. Special thanks to state President Isaac Herzog for his efforts to bring them home," Bennett and Lapid said in a joint statement."
"Welcome to Israel," Herzog said. "Natalie and Mordy, how good it is that you've come home. I warmly embrace you and your families. I congratulate the prime minister and foreign minister and all those who … worked to bring the Oknins home. I thank the Turkish president and his government for the cooperation."
In a statement, the President's Residence noted, "There are many talks with relevant officials behind the scenes."
Addressing the press from the balcony of the couple's Modiin residence, Natalie said, "Thank you to the prime minister and the foreign minister. Thank you to the president of the country. Thank you to everyone in Israel. Thank you to everyone who helped and supported [us]. Thank you to [Modiin] Mayor Hayim Bibas and the Modiin Municipality, the Egged [bus company] family. Thank you to [attorney] Nir Yaslovitzh.
Addressing the press from the entrance to the family's home, the Oknins' daughter Shiraz said, "I want to say thank you. My parents are back, and there is nothing better," their daughter Shiraz said while. "We are excited. I am over the moon in a way I can't even describe. I want to say thank you to the country and the prime minister who didn't leave for a moment. Likewise, to Foreign Minister Lapid, the press, our amazing family who didn't leave us for a second, for everyone's messages …."
"We are so incredibly excited. To see Mom after so much time is not something I take for granted. I also want to thank the Turks, who understood they need to be here. Try to understand that they returned after a period that was not simple at all. We haven't internalized it at all, and it will take time. Be patient, we're having a hard time. We're on a crazy high. Thank you to the country that is the best country in the world."
She noted her younger brother Ofek "only knew they were on a trip. He hasn't left Mom" since they returned, she said.
Speaking to the press outside the couple's home, their attorney said: "There was an arrest, and they checked what needed to be checked. I am a man of the law, an attorney doing his job. The effort was in combination with the diplomatic system. The encounter in prison was very emotional, accompanied by tears. My objective was to bolster them and bring them back to Israel safe and sound – in a good mental state. We were up to the task."
The Oknins learned they would be freed Wednesday afternoon, Israel Hayom has learned.
A senior official confirmed to Israel Hayom that the Mossad intelligence agency had intervened to secure the Oknins' release. At the same time, a senior diplomatic official clarified that "the Turks were not rewarded for the Oknin couple's release."
Talks with the Turks were conducted via several channels in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, the Mossad, and the National Security Council.
According to the prime minister, the family's restraint was really vital" to their release.
The Oknins' departed for Israel once the judge in their case decided to accept their appeal.
"In the end, it's a Kafkaesque story," a diplomatic official said.
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