A Jewish man from Turkey has been taken into custody after traveling to Israel in April, according to a report by the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).
Umut Ataseven, 29, who had been employed as a visa and passport officer for Turkish Airlines at Istanbul Airport, spent several days in Israel as a tourist from April 6 through April 12. While there, he uploaded a photo to social media showing himself posing with an Israeli flag in Tel Aviv.
The image sparked backlash on X, with users falsely claiming that Ataseven was an Israeli national, a soldier in the IDF, and involved in what they described as a “genocide” being carried out in Gaza.
After returning to Turkey, Ataseven was immediately dismissed from his position at Turkish Airlines and was placed under arrest just a few hours later. Although he was released shortly after, he is still facing legal action. He is now required to check in with police twice weekly and is barred from leaving the country.
Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, Turkey has increasingly embraced Islamist policies and authoritarian governance. Since the Hamas-led atrocities on October 7, Erdogan has aligned himself with.
{Matzav.com}