Turkey arrests man suspected of spying for the UAE, says official
Turkey's intelligence officials have arrested another man suspected of spying on foreign Arab nationals on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, a senior security official said on Friday.
The man confessed to spying on Arab nationals and "provided a trove of documents" that proved his affiliation with the UAE's intelligence service, the official told Reuters, requesting anonymity and not identifying the man.
There was no immediate reaction from UAE authorities.
Last year, Turkey arrested two men also suspected of spying on Arab nationals, including political exiles and students, for the UAE.
At the time, an official said one of those two was connected to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
One of the suspects later committed suicide in prison, according to the prosecutor's office.
The latest suspect travelled to Turkey using a non-UAE passport and "infiltrated Arab dissident and journalist networks for years", the official said.
Abu Dhabi and Ankara have been at odds for several years over foreign policy and attitudes towards religious political groups, and they back opposing sides in Libya's protracted war.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
