Prime Minister Naftali Bennett addressed the government’s efforts for the release of the Israeli couple arrested by Turkish authorities for “espionage” at the start of the Cabinet meeting on Sunday.

“First I want to speak about the arrest of the Oknin couple in Turkey,” Bennett said. “The Foreign Minister, I, and other officials dealt with the situation over the weekend. These are two innocent citizens who accidentally became entangled in a complex situation. I spoke with the family yesterday and we’re doing everything to resolve the situation.”

Bennett and Lapid held an urgent meeting on the issue earlier on Sunday with National Security Council head Eyal Hulata, Foreign Ministry Director-General Alon Ushpiz and other senior officials.

As of Sunday, the Turkish authorities are intent on charging the couple for espionage despite Israel’s confirmations that the two have no connection to any government agencies, Channel 12 News reported. The two are Egged bus drivers and the parents of three children, including a five-year-old boy on the autistic spectrum who is distressed by his parents’ extended absence.

The couple’s relatives have been asked by Lapid and other senior Foreign Ministry officials to refrain from speaking to the media. One of the relatives said that a message was conveyed to him to lower his profile since interviews with the media may negatively affect efforts for the couple’s release.

Israeli officials are concerned that Ankara will try to leverage the issue to extract a political price.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)