Turkey arrests two Arab spies over Khasogg murder

One of the two men arrived in Turkey in October 2018, a few days after Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, the official said, adding that the other had come later to help his colleague with the workload.

“We are investigating whether the primary individual's arrival in Turkey was linked to the murder of Yamal Khashoggit”, the official said, adding that the person had been monitored six months before the arrests in Istanbul yesterday.

It is possible that there has been an attempt to collect information about Arabs, including political dissidents, living in Turkey”.

A Turkish court decided Friday evening to keep suspects in prison on charges of international, political and military spying, state agency Anadolu reported.

State broadcaster T RT Haber published pictures of two suspects in custody, standing before the Turkish flag. They also showed photographs, apparently taken earlier and secretly, of both men walking together on a street.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed in the Arab consulate on October 2nd by a team of Saudi operatives, provoking an international protest.

The CIA and some Western countries believe that the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince, ordered the murder, which Saudi officials deny. Saudi public prosecutor has charged 11 unidentified suspects, including five who could face the death penalty on charges of ordering and committing crime.