Attorney Nir Yaslovitz, who is representing the Israeli couple being held in Turkey, visited his client Mordy Oknin in jail on Monday for the first time since his arrest. He hopes to visit Mordy’s wife Natali, on Tuesday.

“Mordy burst into tears when he heard Hebrew for the first time in six days,” Yaslovitz told Yediot Achranot. “I can tell you that Mordy’s detention conditions are not easy,” he added, saying that Oknin is wearing the same clothes he was arrested in almost a week ago.

“I tried to instill hope and belief in him that he’ll succeed in leaving this place. I told him the entire country is following his story. He asked me difficult questions: ‘How long it will take? How does it work in Turkey? Why was I arrested?'”

“We were both in tears. I promised to bring him back to Israel and I intend to keep my promise,” Yaslovich asserted. “I intend to pick up the phone to ensure that his conditions are improved. He should be separated from the other prisoners.”

Israeli diplomats were granted permission to visit the Oknins on Monday and they are working to schedule the visit as soon as possible.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid says Israel is “working around the clock” to secure the Oknins’ release, and asked politicians and the media to exercise restraint in discussing the incident.

On Monday, Turkish policemen arrested an Israeli reporter as he was reporting live on a Turkish street. He was released later on Monday but was banned from leaving his hotel.

Turkey jails the most reporters of any country, topping China, Egypt, Eritrea and Ethiopia, according to a 2016 data analysis from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)