U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Saudi Arabia’s King and Crown Prince to discuss the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday and Turkey’s Foreign Minister said the envoy would bring information about the case to Ankara.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Saudi Arabia’s King and Crown Prince to discuss the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday and Turkey’s Foreign Minister said the envoy would bring information about the case to Ankara.
Mr. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of the Saudi Crown Prince, vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Turkish officials say they believe the Saudi journalist was murdered there and his body removed, which the Saudis strongly deny. After talks with the King, Mr. Pompeo met Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and will see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a second time at a dinner. He is then expected to go to Turkey.
Consulate searched
Overnight, Turkish crime scene investigators entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the last place Mr. Khashoggi was seen before vanishing, for the first time and searched the premises for over nine hours, Reuters witnesses said.
They will continue on Tuesday, expanding their search to include the residence of the Saudi consul as well as consulate vehicles, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÅŸoÄŸlu said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, speaking to reporters in Parliament, raised the possibility that parts of the consulate had been repainted since Mr. Khashoggi disappeared. “The investigation is looking into many things such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting them over,” he said.
Mr. ÇavuÅŸoÄŸlu said Turkey had “not received a confession” yet from Saudi Arabia over Mr. Kashoggi's disappearance, but added that he expected Mr. Pompeo to bring fresh information from Riyadh when he arrives in Turkey.
Turkish authorities have an audio recording indicating that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, a Turkish official and a security source have told Reuters, and have shared evidence with countries including Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
Mr. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of the Saudi Crown Prince, vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Turkish officials say they believe the Saudi journalist was murdered there and his body removed, which the Saudis strongly deny. After talks with the King, Mr. Pompeo met Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and will see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a second time at a dinner. He is then expected to go to Turkey.
Consulate searched
Overnight, Turkish crime scene investigators entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the last place Mr. Khashoggi was seen before vanishing, for the first time and searched the premises for over nine hours, Reuters witnesses said.
They will continue on Tuesday, expanding their search to include the residence of the Saudi consul as well as consulate vehicles, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÅŸoÄŸlu said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, speaking to reporters in Parliament, raised the possibility that parts of the consulate had been repainted since Mr. Khashoggi disappeared. “The investigation is looking into many things such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting them over,” he said.
Mr. ÇavuÅŸoÄŸlu said Turkey had “not received a confession” yet from Saudi Arabia over Mr. Kashoggi's disappearance, but added that he expected Mr. Pompeo to bring fresh information from Riyadh when he arrives in Turkey.
Turkish authorities have an audio recording indicating that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, a Turkish official and a security source have told Reuters, and have shared evidence with countries including Saudi Arabia and the U.S.