Turkey is Collateral Damage in Erdoğan’s Hostage Diplomacy

Turkey is Collateral Damage in Erdoğan’s Hostage Diplomacy His erratic policies scare away tourists and foreign capital. Eric Edelman and Aykan Erdemir Mordy and Natalie Oknin, an Israeli couple visiting Istanbul, filmed a video last week to dispel fears among Israelis too scared to visit Turkey. Natalie said, “There is nothing to fear. It is fun in Turkey, safe in Turkey, you can speak Hebrew openly. They love us Israelis.” Her husband added, “Come, everything is okay.” Shortly after, however, the Oknins ended up in solitary confinement for six days on spurious charges of espionage and were able to return home only following backchannel talks between Ankara and Jerusalem. The swift resolution of the latest episode of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s hostage diplomacy should not gloss over the harm it does to the detained victims and its collateral damage to Turkey. More:Turkey is Collateral Damage in Erdoğan’s Hostage Diplomacy