A man on Thursday admitted to setting fire to two doors at the Turkish Military Cemetery in Marsa.

Ümit Kartal, 46, a Turkish citizen living in Malta, pleaded guilty to arson, obstructing religious services, trespassing and threatening the Turkish embassy.

Prosecution told a court presided by Magistrate Elaine Rizzo the anti-terrorism squad was called in to look into a report about the two doors being set on fire.

CCTV footage and information given by the Turkish embassy led the police to the suspect.

Kartal told police he set fire to the two doors as a sign of protest, as he felt that Turkey was not upholding his religious values.

Both the prosecution and the defence agreed that three years imprisonment and a €5,000 fine would be sufficient punishment.

The court will give its sentence at a later date.

Kartal was remanded in custody as the defence did not request bail.

AG lawyers Joseph Camilleri Azarov, together with inspectors Zachary Zammit and Elisia Scicluna and Chief Officer at the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage Jonathan Borg, prosecuted.

Lawyer Thomas Barbara Sant acted as legal aid for the accused.

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