UAE, Turkiye hold talks after false espionage claims surface

Abu Dhabi: The Office of the Attorney-General of the UAE announced that the Attorney-General held a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, during which the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Turkiye expressed his country's readiness to strengthen judicial cooperation and enhance channels of mutual communication between both sides.

The General Prosecutor of the Republic of Turkiye officially refuted allegations circulating in some media outlets concerning the detection of unlawful espionage activity in Istanbul and the attribution of such claims to the UAE. Following contact with the competent Turkish authorities, including the Office of the Istanbul Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor, the General Prosecutor confirmed that these allegations are categorically false.

According to the Turkish Attorney General, the Turkish Public Prosecution affirmed that there is no unlawful activity or suspicious conduct attributed to the UAE or its citizens. He noted that he visited the Office of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor and met with the Istanbul Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor alongside relevant security authorities, where the circulating information was promptly reviewed. Security officials affirmed that no suspicious behaviour was observed involving UAE citizens.

The Turkish General Prosecutor added that, with regard to the content published in media outlets and on social media platforms, he issued instructions to the relevant authorities to remove the allegations against the UAE, following verification that the material being circulated was inaccurate.

In this context, the UAE Attorney-General commended the statement issued on Thursday by the Turkish Minister of Justice concerning the ongoing investigations in Istanbul, noting that the statement aligns with the discussions held during the telephone call with the Turkish General Prosecutor and demonstrates the commitment of the Turkish authorities to clarify the facts and prevent the spread of rumours.