Israeli allegations against Turkish academic rejected

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu

ANKARA

Turkey on Tuesday rejected the allegations by the Israel Security Agency against Turkish academic Cemil Tekeli, who was taken into custody and then released in Israel.

“We reject the allegations, apparently out of reality and seriousness, which were introduced on the basis of some statements obtained from our detained citizen under ambiguous circumstances,” Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said: “It is out of question for Turkey to permit an activity on its soil that can jeopardize the security of another country.”

Israeli authorities detained Tekeli on Jan. 15 just before he was due to board a plane at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The detention came after the assistant law professor from Istanbul Medeniyet University attended a program in Jerusalem on Jan. 11.

The exact reason for his detention remains unclear since Israeli courts and authorities refrained from issuing any statements on the case while Israeli authorities also rejected Anadolu Agency correspondent’s demand to follow his trial.

Tekeli was released on Sunday.