The two suspects were arrested in mid-April on suspicion of spying for the UAE, in connection with, according to Turkish Anadolu news outlet, an ongoing investigation launched by Turkish prosecutors into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi, who was a well-known critic of Saudi policies, went missing last October after he entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey's Istanbul. Riyadh initially denied any knowledge of the journalist's whereabouts but eventually admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the embassy and alleged that his body had been dismembered.
READ MORE: Son of Slain Saudi Journalist Khashoggi Claims No Settlement Reached With Riyadh
Relations between Turkey and the UAE have recently seen a downward trend. Abu Dhabi has repeatedly condemned Turkey's actions in Syria, urging Ankara to "respect Arab sovereignty and deal with its neighbours with wisdom and rationality".
In turn, Ankara accused the UAE of backing the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), considered a terrorist entity in Turkey, amid Abu Dhabi's reported support for the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which Ankara believes is connected to the PKK.
