Towards a turning point in his relationship with Erdogan? “Do not ignore countries like Turkey”

Rebels and Natalie Oknin in an interview with Ynet upon their return to Israel

(Photo: Avi Chai)

The understanding in Israel is thatThe happy ending Of the case of the arrest of the couple Rebels and Natalie Oknin There can certainly be a turning point in front of Ankara, and there may also be a beginning of a warming in the relationship. Contrary to popular belief, in Israel it is estimated that the arrest was not planned or attempted manipulation to extort exchanges from Israel. What is at stake is to get relations back on track, and bring the ambassadors back after more than three and a half years.

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Towards warming up in a relationship? Bennett and Erdogan

(Photo: AP, AFP)

Upon the couple’s return to Israel, there were estimates from political sources that Israel was likely to make gestures towards Turkey, but a senior Israeli official was quick to clarify yesterday that there would be no real gestures beyond resuming talks with the Turks. It is likely that Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s first conversation with his Turkish counterpart from the Chebushulu bloc will take place soon.

“I do not think it should be used because these are two powerful countries in the region,” said Ushpiz. “These are not countries you ignore.” . “No one is ignoring Turkey and no one is ignoring Israel, and from time to time we have to ask ourselves whether it is right for us to ignore each other.”

The working assumption in Israel was that the Oknin couple were released by Erdogan’s own decision. Such things in Turkey do not close at the level of officials, and require a decision from the top. Israel emphasizes that the Turks did not ask for anything in return. “There was no bargaining and addiction,” said a senior Jerusalem official. However, following Erdogan’s request, Israel was required to express a public and written assessment of President Erdogan’s decision to release the couple. Herzog and Bennett managed to talk to Erdogan yesterday, who said in a conversation that he decided to release them for humanitarian reasons – and mainly because of their young son’s touching story.

Bennett and Lapid greet the Oknin couple

(Photo: Omar Miron, GPO, Sound: Ben Peretz, GPO)

Many countries have offered to mediate between Israel and Turkey to bring about a speedy end to the affair, including Britain and Azerbaijan which is very close to the Turks. But in a consultation between Bennett and Lapid, it was decided not to enter a third country and run it as a bilateral event, for fear that third-party mediation might create a dialogue of exchange – which they wanted to avoid. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid noted that “the whole task, as we have defined it for all levels, is not to let it get to the legal system. Finish it before it becomes a legal event. We knew that if we get there we are in serious trouble and need to close it at the political level.”

“Until Wednesday afternoon, I could not say that they were being released,” said Foreign Ministry Director General Alon Ushpiz, who coordinated the contacts for their release. our”.

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Transferred to the airport under cover of darkness. Rebels and Natalie

(Photo: Shaul Golan)

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“Occasionally we have to ask ourselves whether it is right to ignore Turkey.” Foreign Ministry Director General Alon Ushpiz

Ushpiz noted that “an Israeli couple who are photographing Erdogan’s house, in violation of Turkish law, mark the picture in a circle and write that it is Erdogan’s house and that it is guarded – it is definitely suspicious and so they were arrested. In the end they believed us not to spy. “It took a long time for them to believe. But it took a few days because it is not enough for the leader to make a decision that they are released. There is a process on the way.”

The Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said that the operation to release the rebels from Natalie was primarily due to “excellent cooperation” between all the Israeli systems. “The various parts of the Israeli system, with the intention of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister . Without ego, and in my eyes also without credit fights. Everyone does what they know in a matter-of-fact way, with a lot of respect and transparency. We are paid salaries for that. “

In Israel, there were fears that the broadcast of a sketch with the character of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the “Great Country” program would torpedo the release of the Oknin couple. Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth have learned that President Yitzhak Herzog conveyed messages to officials at the Keshet franchise, that on such sensitive days it should be seen that the efforts for liberation are not harmed, and that responsibility and caution must be exercised. A senior official involved in the details said that Herzog did not want to prevent the broadcast of the sketch, which was eventually broadcast.

The Oknin couple land in Israel

(Photo: Airports Authority)

Contacts for the release of the Oknin couple took place intensively throughout the week on two parallel axes. The head of the Israeli embassy in Turkey, Irish Ambassador Lillian, who is a veteran, experienced and Turkological diplomat, with senior Foreign Ministry officials and with Erdogan’s senior adviser, Ibrahim Kalin, who is the deputy head of the National Security Council in Turkey and a key figure in the sensitive affair. The second axis was Mossad chief Dedi Barnea in front of Turkish intelligence chief (MIT) Kan Padan, who is one of the most powerful people in the country. In this axis, the Israeli Mossad convinced its Turkish counterpart that the Oknin couple were not spies.

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Conveyed messages so that the sketch would not hurt efforts. President Herzog

(Photo: Haim Tzach, GPO)

Countries do not usually declare certain people that they are not agents, and not just because of the possibility that someday a person who is a real agent will be arrested and then it is impossible to lie. Therefore the head of the institution had to find a way to convey the information required to Padan in a way that would not endanger the next agent. Sources involved in the matter stated that the axis of the institution was very important. Unlike in Israel, in Turkey the intelligence organization is also an influential political body and therefore it was important to obtain their consent to liberation.

At the beginning of the week in Israel, there was cautious optimism that the Turks had received the message that the couple were not spies, and that they were positively considering their release. But on Tuesday, Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soilo Prey on the cards. His statement that the Oknin couple were spies and that only the Turkish court would rule on them was met with astonishment in Jerusalem. The assessment on the Israeli side was that behind Soilo’s statement were internal power struggles in Turkey. Soilo, who is considered one of the candidates to succeed Erdogan, is deeply involved in a corruption case in Turkey, and may have tried to “build muscle” and be portrayed as a national hero who “humiliates” the Israeli institution.

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Made it clear in his voice that the two were not spies. Mossad chief Dedi Barnea

(Photo: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO)

Even before Soilo’s statement, and certainly after it, Israel sent a message to the Turks that the continued detention of the Israelis could lead to a political crisis. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid have decided not to allow the affair to reach a dialogue of changes with the Turks. The Israeli message focused on the fact that Israel is not ready to come to terms with it. “We turned in a good spirit,” said a senior Israeli official, “but there have been messages about possible serious consequences if this continues. It is important to understand that you are not directly threatening a country like Turkey.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the sedative messages arrived in Jerusalem: “We understand you. We also do not want it to reach a political crisis,” the Turks said. A day later, around 3:00 PM, Ibrahim Kalin informed the Israeli embassy commissioner of the decision to release them. In a consultation between Bennett and Lapid, it was decided that the Foreign Minister would call the Oknin family in Israel and update them on the expected release. “It would have seemed inhuman to us not to update them,” said a senior Israeli official. Lapid begged the family to keep everything secret and told them, “It’s up to you. If it comes out, we do not know what will happen. It could torpedo the whole thing.” Lapid also decided on a diversionary exercise: On Wednesday evening, the recording of Exciting phone call Between Natalie Oknin and her family in Israel, in order to create the impression that the affair is still far from a solution.

The phone call between Natalie and her daughters published as a distraction Listen

But the truth is that by the time the recording was broadcast, the Oknin couple were already out of custody and were at the Istanbul police station as part of their release proceedings. At the same time, the Foreign Ministry imposed censorship “at the level of prisoners and missing persons” so as not to torpedo the operation, but Jerusalem was very concerned about a leak in Turkey that could harm secrecy. In addition, Lapid instructed to prepare for the Oknin couple flying in a private plane. “We did not want to hold it on Turkish soil even for a moment. We maintained a full fall,” a senior official said. “The decision was not to take any risk, and as soon as possible – to throw them into the country.” The same source admitted that one of the considerations was also the fear of how the Turks would react to the sketch of “Great Country”.

After the Turks decided to release the rebels from Natalie, in Israel they had to wait for the Turkish bureaucracy. On Wednesday afternoon, a district judge granted the appeal, and by early evening the couple had already been released from jail and handed over to the local police, who underwent the same release procedure that included a medical examination (to rule out allegations of torture) and a corona examination before boarding. Under cover of darkness, the Oknin couple were transported in a police car to Istanbul Airport, and around 4:30 a.m., Foreign Ministry representatives Rina Dvir and the head of the consular division were handed over to Haim Levy, director of internal human resources, who waited at the foot of a private plane chartered by the Foreign Ministry.

The full article was published in the Shabbat supplement of Yedioth Ahronoth

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