Israeli Footballer Returns Home After Arrest In Turkey Over Hostage Solidarity

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Israeli soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel returned to Israel on Monday evening to a cheering crowd, hours after he was briefly detained in Turkey for allegedly inciting hatred after he expressed solidarity with hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza during a top-flight league game.

Jehezkel landed in Israel in a small plane and was draped in an Israeli flag upon disembarking. Dozens of fans mobbed him as he left the airport, cheering, singing, and waving flags.

“There’s nowhere like Israel in the world,” Jehezkel told reporters. “I’m very happy to be here, and I couldn’t wait to arrive.”

The Antalyaspor player was released from custody following questioning by police and court officials, a Turkish official said. It was not immediately clear if he was released pending a trial or if the accusations against him were dropped. Court officials in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The player left Turkey of his own will and there was no decision to deport him, the official said on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations.

Earlier, Turkish media reports said that the player was released pending a trial for inciting hatred. The reports later moved away from that storyline, without providing an explanation.

Jehezkel had been detained for questioning late Sunday after he displayed a bandage on his wrist with the words “100 Days 7.10” — in reference to Oct. 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel and the hostages were abducted — next to a Star of David.

The 28-year-old who plays for the Israeli national team told police he was simply calling for an end to the war.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said late Sunday that Jehezkel was under investigation for