Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, August 19, 2023
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Israeli man released from Turkish prison after serving 5 years for drug trafficking
Danny Aweke. (Courtesy)
Danny Aweke, an Israeli man imprisoned in Turkey for almost five years on a drug trafficking conviction, is released from prison and is making his way back to Israel, Hebrew media reports.
Danny Aweke, 35, was arrested in 2019 on suspicion of smuggling khat leaves through Turkey and was later convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. In recent months, his mental condition has deteriorated, prompting the personal intervention of Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen and President Isaac Herzog, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
Cohen announced his release Thursday evening, attributing Aweke’s release to “warming relations between Israel and Turkey.”
