JERUSALEM, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that the Israeli couple arrested in Turkey on espionage charges for taking pictures of President Tayyip Erdogan's residence was "innocent."
The couple, who arrived in Turkey's Istanbul as tourists, took photos of the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce Palace during a ferry tour, and parts of the building are used as the Istanbul office of Erdogan, reported Israel's state-owned Kan news TV on Friday.
Speaking at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting, Bennett said that he had spoken with the family of Mordy and Natali Oknin, the married Israeli couple detained by the Turkish police on Friday.
"They are two innocent civilians who have been mistakenly caught up in a complex situation," Bennett said, according to a statement issued by his office.
"We are doing everything to resolve the issue," Bennett said, adding that his office, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and other Israeli officials had "dealt with this throughout the weekend."
The Israeli prime minister voiced his hope that the family of the couple would stay strong despite the difficulty.
On Friday, Lapid denied in a statement that the couple work for an "Israeli agency." Enditem