Turkish citizen to arrive in Istanbul tonight: lawyer

JERUSALEM (AA) - A Turkish citizen who was arrested in Tel Aviv is returning to Turkey, her lawyers told Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

Ebru Ozkan was arrested on June 11 at Ben Gurion Airport for alleged links to “terrorist groups”.

Omar Khamaysa said Ozkan, who was released pending trial on Wednesday, was given back her passport and an international travel ban on her was lifted.

"She is going to arrive in Istanbul tonight," he said.

He went on to say that her file in Israeli courts would be closed, revealing no further details.

She has left HaSharon prison near Netanya city accompanied by officials of Turkey’s Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Ozkan, 27, had appeared at a hearing earlier in the day at the Ofer military court in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The court ruled to release Ozkan on bail set at 15,000 Israeli shekels (roughly $4,110), taking her passport. In addition, she had to visit the nearest police station. Prosecutors lodged an objection, but it was dismissed by the court.

The bill of indictment prepared by Israeli prosecutors accused Ozkan of "helping and providing various services to Hamas, disturbing peace and bringing enemy money into Israel".

After her three-day visit to Jerusalem, right before she came back to Istanbul on July 11, the Israeli police in Tel Aviv airport took Ozkan under custody.

She is not the first Turkish national to have been recently detained by Israeli authorities.

In January, Osman Hazir, a 46-year-old Turkish citizen, was arrested for snapping a selfie at East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque while holding a Turkish flag.

Last December, Israel arrested Abdullah Kizilirmak and Mehmet Gargili after they quarreled with Israeli police, who had tried to bar them from entering the flashpoint holy site.

The same month, Adem Koc was arrested inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for allegedly “disturbing peace and taking part in an illegal demonstration”.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara