ANKARA (Ruptly) — A Turkish lawyer working for the German embassy in Ankara was arrested by Turkish authorities in mid-September on espionage charges, several German media outlets reported on Wednesday.

The suspect, Yilmaz S., was accused of having “connections to terrorist organisations” after reportedly communicating information on Turkish citizens seeking asylum in Germany to the German authorities. The arrest reportedly took place in mid-September and suspect has been held in pre-trial detention since then.

The German Foreign Ministry condemned the arrest of the lawyer as "incomprehensible" and called for the lawyer’s release from custody.