Israel frees Turkish woman charged with aiding Hamas

A Turkish woman who had been arrested while visiting Israel on a tourist visa and accused of helping the Palestinian Hamas movement was released on Monday, in a case that angered Ankara, her lawyer has said.

Ebru Ozkan, who was detained by Israeli authorities last month, flew to Istanbul on Sunday, a week after an Israeli military court indicted her, according to her lawyer Omar Khamaisi.

An appeals court had ordered her freed and returned her passport, he told Reuters.

"The indictment still stands, but I think that will be cancelled too," he added.

Ozkan thanking President Tayyip Erdogan for having been "kind enough to be very interested in my case" Turkish news agency Anadolu reported.

The 27-year-old was detained at Israel's Ben Gurion airport on 11 June as she was leaving the country to return to Turkey. 

Israel's Shin Bet security service said Ozkan was arrested "on suspicion of posing a threat to national security and for having links to a terrorist organisation", passing on hundreds of dollars and phone chargers. 

The name of the group the Turkish woman was suspected of having links to was not given, but Israeli media alleged the money was destined for the group Hamas.

The case against Ozkan comes as tensions have spiked between Turkey and Israel after Ankara ordered out Israel's ambassador in May, over the killing of protestors along the border with the Gaza Strip.