After a month: an Israeli held in a Turkish prison was released

An Israeli tourist in his 60s who was arrested during a vacation in Antalya and held in a Turkish prison for almost a month was released this morning (Thursday) from the prison in Turkey.

The Israeli citizen was in Antalya with his family for vacation, when during their flight back to Israel, the Turkish police broke into the plane, searched the person's belongings and arrested him near his family members. When a bell was found in his belongings that he had purchased at one of the flea markets in the city, the Israeli was arrested at the airport and taken for questioning on suspicion of stealing antiques.

After being separated from his family and taken in for questioning, he discovered that the bell he had purchased as a souvenir in the market had been stolen from a local museum a few weeks before he came across it at a market stall.

Now after a month in the Turkish prison and contacts between the countries, the local authorities have agreed to release him and allow him to return to Israel.