Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, on Saturday called for accountability if he was killed.
Khashoggi, a columnist for Washington Post, was last seen entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, and fears have grown that he has been killed.
On Friday, several media outlets reported that Turkish authorities had audio and visual evidence that showed Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate.
In an op-ed penned for The New York Times, Cengiz, a doctoral student in Istanbul, said that if the allegations proven true, Khashoggi "is already a martyr" and his loss was "of every person with a conscience and moral compass".
"If we have already lost Jamal, then condemnation is not enough. The people who took him from us, irrespective of their political positions, must be held accountable and punished to the full extent of the law," she said.
On the same day Khashoggi arrived at the consulate, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was inside, Turkish police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.
Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation about Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the U.K. -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.
On U.S. President Donald Trump's invitation to the White House, Cengiz said she would "consider accepting" such an invitation if Trump helped reveal what happened to Khashoggi.
"If he makes a genuine contribution to the efforts to reveal what happened inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul that day, I will consider accepting his invitation," she wrote.
Earlier, in a CBS interview on Saturday, Trump said that there would be "severe punishment" for Saudi Arabia if it turns out that Khashoggi was killed.
"Jamal spoke up against oppression, but he paid for the Saudi people’s demand for freedom with his own life," added Cengiz.
"If he is dead, and I hope that is not the case, thousands of Jamals will be born today, on his birthday. His voice and his ideas will reverberate, from Turkey to Saudi Arabia, and across the world. Oppression never lasts forever. Tyrants eventually pay for their sins," she wrote.
Saudi Arabia must cooperate with the investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and allow Turkish officials to enter its Istanbul consulate, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Saturday.Çavuşoğlu was speaking to reporters during a visit to London, after a delegation from Saudi Arabia arrived in Turkey for a joint investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance."There is consensus on forming a joint working group with Saudi Arabia over missing journalist Khashoggi," Çavuşoğlu said.Trump says Saudi Arabia faces 'severe punishment' if Khashoggi was killed"It is natural for everyone to show awareness of the case and want it to be clarified," he added.On the same day that the Saudi journalist arrived at the consulate, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the building while Khashoggi was also inside, police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K -- are pressing the case to be cleared up as soon as possible.Disappearance of Khashoggi cannot be covered up: AK Party spoxTurkey obtains recordings of Saudi journalist's purported killing
Turkey expects Saudi cooperation on case of missing journalist: FM
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a CBS interview on Saturday that there would be "severe punishment" for Saudi Arabia if it turns out that missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.Trump said he did not want to block military sales to Saudi Arabia, one option that has rattled U.S. defense contractors, saying, "I don't want to hurt jobs."Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Riyadh and a U.S. resident who wrote columns for the Washington Post, disappeared on Oct. 2 after visiting the consulate."We're going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment," Trump said.Disappearance of Khashoggi cannot be covered up: AK Party spoxAsked whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave an order to kill Khashoggi, Trump said, "Nobody knows yet, but we'll probably be able to find out." Trump added in excerpts of the "60 Minutes" interview that will air on Sunday, "We would be very upset and angry if that were the case."Trump said there was much at stake with Khashoggi case, "maybe especially so" because he was a reporter.Major U.S. defense contractors have expressed concern to the Trump administration that lawmakers angered by Khashoggi's disappearance will block further arms deals with Riyadh.But Trump said he did not want to lose military sales to Saudi Arabia that are coveted by U.S. competitors Russia and China, also exporters of military equipment.Turkey obtains recordings of Saudi journalist's purported killing"I don't want to lose an order like that," he said, mentioning the companies Boeing, Lockheed and Raytheon. "And you know what, there are other ways of punishing," he said, without elaborating.Turkish sources have told Reuters the initial assessment of the police was that Khashoggi was deliberately killed inside the consulate.Riyadh has dismissed the claims.US congressmen seek support for Khashoggi intel releaseRiyadh welcomes Turkey’s response to Khashoggi probe
Trump says Saudi Arabia faces 'severe punishment' if Khashoggi was killed
Turkey's investigation into the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has revealed recordings made on his Apple Watch purportedly indicating he was tortured and killed.The report emerged after a delegation from Saudi Arabia arrived in Turkey for a joint investigation into his disappearance.The moments when Khashoggi was interrogated, tortured and murdered were recorded in the Apple Watch's memory, and the watch had synched with his iPhone, which his fiancee was carrying outside the consulate.Two senior Turkish officials previously told Reuters that Khashoggi had been wearing a black Apple watch when he entered the consulate and that it was connected to a mobile phone he left outside.US congressmen seek support for Khashoggi intel releaseHowever, it was not clear whether data from Khashoggi’s watch could have been transmitted to his phone outside, or how investigators could have retrieved it without obtaining the watch themselves.According to reliable sources in a special intelligence department, Khashoggi was believed to have turned on the recording feature on the phone before entering the consulate.Saudi intelligence agents had realised after he died that the phone was recording and they used his finger print to unlock it, deleting some files, but not all of them. The recordings were subsequently found on his phone, it said.On Thursday, Turkey said it and Saudi Arabia had agreed to form a joint working group - at Riyadh's initiative - to investigate the case. A Saudi source said a senior royal, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, had visited Turkey that day.Riyadh welcomes Turkey’s response to Khashoggi probeKhashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. Saudi officials say he left shortly afterwards but Turkish officials and his fiancee, who was waiting outside, said he never came out.Turkish sources have told Reuters the initial assessment of the police was that Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the Saudi government, had been deliberately killed inside the consulate. Riyadh has dismissed the claims.SPA said on Friday that Saudi Arabia's interior minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, condemned the "lies and baseless allegations" against the kingdom, although he praised the joint investigation with Turkey.The Saudi delegation, which arrived in Turkey on Thursday, is meeting a Turkish prosecutor investigating the case as well as representatives from the Justice Ministry, Interior Ministry, police and the national intelligence agency, one source said.On Tuesday, the Turkish foreign ministry said the Saudi consulate in Istanbul would be searched as part of the investigation. IMF chief attending Saudi conference, watching for news of journalistTrump to call Saudi king to discuss missing journalist
Turkey obtains recordings of Saudi journalist's purported killing
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Saturday she has not canceled her plans to attend an elite Saudi investment conference later this month, but will be "very attentive" to any new information about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi."At this point in time, my intention is to not change my plan and to be very attentive to the information that is coming up in the next few days," she told a news conference when asked whether she would attend the conference after several media companies and business leaders pulled out."Horrifying things have been reported, and I am horrified," Lagarde said of media reports about Khashoggi's disappearance. "But I have to conduct the business of the IMF in all corners of the world and with many governments." France's Macron says Khashoggi affair worrying, will speak with Turks, SaudisSaudi Consulate in Istanbul bustles with activityIn final tweets, Khashoggi alluded to Palestine, SyriaTurkish security forces to dig up Istanbul sites in search of Khashoggi remainsSaudi delegation arrives in Ankara for Khashoggi probe
IMF chief attending Saudi conference, watching for news of journalist
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he will call Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to discuss the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi."We’re going to find out what happened with respect to the terrible situation in Turkey having to do with Saudi Arabia and the reporter," said Trump, speaking to the press in Ohio ahead of a campaign rally.He said he would be calling King Salman “at some point," without elaborating.Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, and fears have grown that he has been killed by Riyadh.The Washington Post, which Khashoggi was a columnist for, reported earlier this week that the U.S. intercepted the communications of Saudi officials which allegedly indicated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman ordered an operation to detain Khashoggi.Trump said that many countries were "looking very hard and fast" at what happened. "A lot of people are looking to find out because it is potentially a really, really terrible situation."On the same day Khashoggi arrived at the consulate, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was inside, police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the UK -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.France's Macron says Khashoggi affair worrying, will speak with Turks, SaudisCNBC pulls out of Saudi conference over KhashoggiFrance raises pressure on Saudi over Khashoggi disappearance
Trump to call Saudi king to discuss missing journalist