Turkey arrests three suspected Emirati agents
Turkish security forces have detained three people suspected of working for the United Arab Emirates intelligence service, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday.
The office said the suspects had allegedly been collecting personal information on people working in important public offices in Turkey by using a Turkish phone number.
“It was determined that members of the UAE intelligence service obtained a number from a GSM [global system for mobile communications] company operating in Turkey and, through fake profiles, attempted to collect biographical data on personnel working in critical positions in our country,” the statement said.
“The efforts targeted executives at defence industry organisations, a phone line used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and official representatives of some foreign countries.”
The statement added that the authorities identified four people who acquired a mobile phone line from a Turkish service operator and transported it to the UAE to deliver it to an intelligence operative, and maintained contact with each other.
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“During an operation conducted today to apprehend the identified suspects and seize evidence related to the crime, three suspects were arrested, while one suspect remains abroad. An arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect who is outside Turkey,” the prosecutor’s office said.
However, just hours after the office’s statement, Turkish officials began contacting several media outlets to request the removal of related reports, claiming they contained false information.
Subsequently, the prosecutor’s office deleted the original press release from its official X account and issued a new statement on the matter - this time omitting any reference to the Emirati connection.
Later in the evening, the office released another clarification:
“According to information obtained from our security sources regarding the espionage investigation announced in today’s press release, it has been determined that the suspects have no connection whatsoever with the United Arab Emirates.”
Turkey and the UAE repaired their ties in 2021 following extensive talks to resolve their regional and bilateral differences, which were sparked by the Arab Spring.
The relationship has since been crowned by a free trade agreement and an investment deal, as well as frequent visits by senior officials.
However, in recent months, the Sudan war has rekindled some of the tensions between the regional powerhouses.
The UAE is backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces against the Sudanese army, which has been increasingly cooperating with Ankara over the past year.
Turkish officials maintain that their relationship with the Emiratis is cordial and there is an agreement to compartmentalise the issues rather than poisoning the relationship.
Turkey in recent years has arrested many suspects allegedly working for Israeli, Russian or Iranian intelligence agencies.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information released by the Istanbul's prosecutor's office.
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