Turkey detains, investigates UAE operatives over Khashoggi murder

Turkey has arrested two alleged intelligence operatives who confessed to spying on Arab nationals on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, a senior Turkish official says.

Turkey is investigating whether the arrival of one of the detainees could be linked to the murder of prominent dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, the official, who requested anonymity, added on Friday.

One of the two men arrived in Turkey in October 2018, days after Khashoggi was killed inside Saudi Arabia's consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the official said, adding that the other arrived to help his colleague with the workload.

Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a US resident, disappeared on October 2, 2018 after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documentation for his forthcoming marriage.

Saudi Arabia initially claimed that the US-based Washington Post columnist had left the consulate alive, but weeks later admitted that he was killed inside the diplomatic mission and blamed his death on a group of Saudi operatives.