Israeli Media: Trump Asked Israel to Release Turkish Prisoner

Israeli media reported on Friday, August 5, citing an 'official source' from the country, that the President of the United States recently requested in a phone call with the Israeli Prime Minister to release a Turkish woman imprisoned in Israel so that Turkey would also release American pastor Andrew Brunson from prison as part of a deal desired by the U.S. An 'Israeli official' confirmed the report published in the Washington Post. The Washington Post had written on Thursday, August 4, that the release of Ebru Ozkhan, a Turkish citizen from an Israeli prison, was part of an indirect deal that Turkey was supposed to agree to in exchange for the release of Pastor Brunson. According to reports from Haaretz and Ynet, the 'Israeli official' stated that Donald Trump's request for the release of Ebru Ozkhan was made during a phone call on July 13 between the U.S. President and the Israeli Prime Minister. However, Reuters quoted an 'official source' from Turkey stating that the release of this citizen from an Israeli prison was not a 'deal' and that Turkey had never agreed to release the American pastor in exchange for the release of Ms. Ozkhan. The Washington Post reported that the U.S. President's call to the Israeli Prime Minister regarding the release of Ebru Ozkhan took place on the same day that Mr. Trump was visiting Scotland, and three days prior, on July 10, he met with the President of Turkey on the sidelines of the NATO summit, and the issue of the indirect deal was part of an agreement reached between him and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to reports from American and Israeli media, Ms. Ozkhan was taken from detention to a military court in Israel on July 24, one day after Donald Trump's phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu, and was returned to her country on July 25. The Washington Post noted that Turkey, however, refrained from releasing Pastor Brunson, and based on a Turkish court ruling, this American citizen was transferred to house arrest this week after 21 months in prison in that country. The report adds that the reason for the U.S. government's anger, which threatened Turkey with severe sanctions this week, was the failure to fully release Pastor Brunson. The pastor from North Carolina, who had lived in Turkey with his wife and three children for 23 years, was arrested shortly after the events of the summer two years ago in Turkey; the charges against him regarding 'collaboration with the Fethullah Gülen organization and coup plotters' in Turkey could have led to a 35-year prison sentence. Ebru Ozkhan, a 27-year-old Turkish woman, was arrested by Israeli security forces at Tel Aviv airport about two months ago on the day she intended to return to Turkey after a trip to Israel, accused of attempting to 'launder money for Hamas.' On July 24, Israeli media published images of Ms. Ozkhan in a coat, hijab, and handcuffs as she was taken to a military court in Israel for an extension of her detention on 'security charges' and 'attempting to assist a terrorist group.' The return of Ebru Ozkhan to Turkey comes while, according to Haaretz, her case is still open in the Israeli military court. According to Reuters, Omar Khamisi, Ms. Ozkhan's lawyer, also confirmed that her case is still open. This Arab-Israeli lawyer stated on July 24 that Ms. Ozkhan's case had been closed and that she was leaving Israel 'normally.' According to this lawyer, this Turkish girl had only traveled to Israel to visit Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem. Ms. Ozkhan expressed gratitude upon her return to Turkey for the attention and efforts of her country's president for her release.