Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
Turkey has not shared any audio recordings with anyone, its foreign minister said on Friday, dismissing reports that Ankara had passed on audio evidence of the killing of a dissident Saudi journalist to the United States.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also told reporters Turkey has evidence and information obtained from its investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance on Oct. 2.
Turkish authorities have an audio recording which indicates that Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a Turkish official and a security source told Reuters this week. Saudi Arabia has denied Turkey's allegation that Khashoggi was killed at the consulate and his body removed.
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Friday that allegations regarding the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi would be totally unacceptable if true but any response by Britain would be "considered"."Part of our reaction will depend on the Saudi reaction, and whether we sense that they are taking it as seriously as we are taking it. But this is a very, very serious matter," Hunt told BBC radio."Our relationship with Saudi is a strategic relationship as well. Our response will be considered... (but) in the end, if these stories are true, we have to be absolutely clear, it would not be consistent with our values."Turkish officials have said they believe Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh denies the allegations.New York museums to stop using Saudi money for programsFamily of Saudi journalist considers him 'missing'Saudi may blame adviser for Khashoggi killing: report
UK says any response over Khashoggi case would be 'considered'
"Turkey has not given a voice recording to Pompeo or any other American official," Çavuşoğlu told reporters on a visit to Albania, when asked about a report it had passed on information to the United States and its Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who held emergency talks in Saudi Arabia and Turkey this week.
"We will share the results that emerge transparently with the whole world. We have not shared any information at all with any country."
The disappearance and likely death of Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and Washington Post columnist, has caused an international outcry and strained relations between Saudi Arabia and the West.
Saudi Arabia is considering putting the blame for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on an intelligence officer who is close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the New York Times reported Thursday.Sources told the Times rulers in the kingdom are planning to pin fault on Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri, an adviser to the crown prince, in a move that could deflect fingers pointed at the 33-year-old aspirant."The Saudi rulers are expected to say that General Assiri received verbal authorization from Prince Mohammed to capture Mr. Khashoggi for an interrogation in Saudi Arabia, but either misunderstood his instructions or overstepped that authorization and took the dissident’s life," two people familiar with the plan told the Times on condition of anonymity.Trump says he believes Khashoggi is deadBin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has been seen by many in the West as a reformer that has brought massive social change and progressive reform to the kingdom.However, his image has been tainted in recent weeks because of the global outcry over the missing journalist.Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Evidence is mounting that the journalist was killed and dismembered by Saudi nationals who flew into Istanbul that same day.Officials from a joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case early Thursday after searching the residence as well as the Saudi Consulate building in Istanbul.France suspends political visits to Saudi ArabiaMeanwhile, a wave of bipartisan U.S. lawmakers have taken a stand against Saudi Arabia, demanding answers on Khashoggi's disappearance.Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia unless Secretary of State Mike Pompeo certifies the kingdom did not order the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. The bill currently has 8 cosponsors from both political parties.After returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, however, Pompeo said he advised U.S. President Donald Trump to give Saudi officials "a few more days" to continue the investigation.Aide to Prince Salman seen walking into Saudi consulateTrump, along with senior officials in the administration, have defended bin Salman, with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and Middle East advisor, telling the president to stand behind the crown prince, the newspaper reported.The Times said that Saudi had already briefed the U.S. on their plan, and people "close to the White House have already been briefed and given General Assiri’s name."Assiri was previously the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and had been promoted to a high ranking adviser last year.US lawmakers seek sanctions on Riyadh over KhashoggiSaudi response to Khashoggi case raises questionsPompeo heard recording of Khashoggi ‘murder': Report
Saudi may blame adviser for Khashoggi killing: report
President Donald Trump said on Thursday he believes Khashoggi is dead and that the U.S. response to Saudi Arabia will likely be "very severe" but that he wanted to get to the bottom of what happened.
Turkish police are searching a forest on the outskirts of Istanbul and a city near the Sea of Marmara for the remains of Khashoggi more than two weeks after he vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, two senior Turkish officials told Reuters on Thursday.
More than 40 lawmakers on Thursday urged U.S. President Donald Trump to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on those responsible for a missing Saudi journalist's murder."If your immediate investigation and determination are consistent with ongoing media reports about this outrageous action, we urge strong, comprehensive sanctions," members of the House of Representatives said in a letter, which also called for an end to U.S. support for Saudi Arabian military action in Yemen."Today, more than 40 lawmakers joined me in urging President Trump to enforce strong sanctions on those responsible for the murder dismemberment of American resident, @washingtonpost journalist Jamal Khashoggi," Congressman Lloyd Doggett said in a post on his Twitter account.Saudi Scholars Association calls for Crown Prince Salman to be dethronedThe lawmakers also voiced support for their colleagues in the Senate, who have already triggered an investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.Khashoggi has been missing since Oct. 2 when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.On the same day of Khashoggi's disappearance, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while he was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Khashoggi probe 'complies with international law'On Wednesday, crime scene investigation units arrived at the official residence of Saudi Consul General Mohammad al-Otaibi around 4.40 p.m. local time (1340GMT). Al-Otaibi had left Turkey for Riyadh on Tuesday.Officials from a joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case early Thursday after searching the residence as well as the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.Trump said it "certainly looks" like Khashoggi is dead, amid speculation he was killed by Saudi Arabia."We're waiting for some investigations, and waiting for the results, and we'll have them very soon. And I think we'll be making a statement, a very strong statement, but we're waiting for the results of about three different investigations," he told reporters before departing for a campaign rally in Montana.Istanbul forest being searched for Khashoggi bodyUS-Saudi relations in light of Khashoggi case
US lawmakers seek sanctions on Riyadh over Khashoggi
Accused of being responsible for the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi officials have added to suspicions by making contradictory assertions on the case.Khashoggi has long been feared killed after he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and was never seen leaving.On the same day, 15 Saudi nationals, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals left Turkey within 25 hours of arriving. Riyadh’s claim that they were merely “tourists” has increasingly come under scrutiny since information concerning their identities began to emerge. Among the group were senior diplomats and soldiers known to be close to Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman as well as one of the country’s high-ranking autopsy and forensic specialists.Citing U.S. intelligence intercepts, the Washington Post reported the crown prince had sought to lure Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia and detain him.However, bin Salman said his government was "very keen to know what happened" to Khashoggi and that the latter had left the consulate "after a few minutes or one hour."Despite this, Saudi officials have so far failed to come up with credible proof that Khashoggi had left the building safe and sound, blaming faulty security cameras, whereas CCTV footage had been released showing him entering the consulate.Saudi Scholars Association calls for Crown Prince Salman to be dethronedAmid a probe into the journalist’s disappearance, crime scene investigation units arrived at Saudi Consul General Muhammad al-Otaibi’s official residence Wednesday.Al-Otaibi had left Turkey without making any statements just before his residence was searched by forensic teams.Saudi officials have been reluctant in conducting an official investigation into the case, only allowing an inspection of the consulate two weeks after Khashoggi’s disappearance despite multiple statements from Riyadh that the government had “nothing to hide”.Khashoggi probe 'complies with international law'Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin announced on Oct. 11 that Riyadh had proposed establishing a joint Turkish-Saudi team to shed light on the issue.While Saudi officials “commended” Turkey’s positive response, little progress was achieved regarding the team due to Riyadh’s foot-dragging, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stating that the Turkish side had yet to see any cooperation.Although Saudi figures including the crown prince and his brother, Khalid bin Salman, had profusely rejected the possibility of Khashoggi’s murder taking place, news reports have emerged claiming Saudi Arabia was preparing to admit it killed Khashoggi in an interrogation gone wrong.Istanbul forest being searched for Khashoggi bodyUS-Saudi relations in light of Khashoggi case
Saudi response to Khashoggi case raises questions
FETÖ structure in Albania
Çavuşoğlu said Albania showed an example of “powerful solidarity” after the defeated July 15, 2016 military coup attempt orchestrated by FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
However, he stressed there is a “very serious” FETÖ structure in Albania and said Turkey expects extradition of the terror group’s members.
Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
The terror group also runs a network of private schools in foreign countries.
Turkey has asked for the extradition of 419 fugitive members of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, according to the justice minister on Friday.“To date, extradition of 419 FETÖ leaders and members have been requested from foreign countries,” Abdulhamit Gül told reporters.“Red notice requests are also issued for those whose whereabouts are not clear,” Gul added.He said the extradition requests for the fugitives were prepared by the courts as part of the investigations into the terror group.The requests were sent to the relevant countries via the Justice Ministry, he added.FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Erdoğan says Turkey expects full support from Moldova against FETÖ terror groupAnkara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.He said Turkey has so far sent seven requests to the U.S. for extradition of FETÖ’s ringleader Gülen.Gul stated that the requests for extradition and the evidence were in compliance with the agreements between the two countries and the law of extradition.He added that fresh evidence against the terror group were also shared with the U.S.“Our extradition requests are still held in the U.S. Department of Justice. At this point, our expectation is the initiation of a judicial process for extradition as soon as possible […]” he said.Gulen has been living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.Fifty FETÖ suspects arrested across Turkey
‘Turkey requested extradition of 419 FETÖ fugitives’