The United Arab Emirates played a vital role in Israel’s diplomatic efforts to free the Oknin couple detained in Turkey last week, Yisrael Hayom reported on Thursday.

Prior to the Oknins’ return to Israel, officials has hinted about a “third-party” country that was assisting Israel with the case.

Yisrael Hayom said that Israel asked UAE National Security Adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who maintains close ties with his Turkish counterpart and other senior defense officials, to assist in the mediation for the couple’s release. Israeli officials reassured him that the couple had absolutely no ties to any Israeli agencies and Al-Nahyan agreed to intervene.

The report quoted a senior diplomatic official who said that Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s personal intervention led to the release of the couple as his office expedited the matter as soon as they were made aware of the case.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke to Erdogan on Thursday to thank him, the first public conversation of an Israeli prime minister with the Turkish leader since 2013. President Issac Herzog also spoke with Erdogan on Thursday, thanking him for the couple’s release.

Erdogan expressed an interest in strengthening Israeli-Turkish ties during the conversations with both leaders.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)