Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi
The fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has said Saudi authorities are responsible for his murder, and the kingdom should give more details so that those who ordered and carried out the killing can be brought to justice.
The death of Khashoggi - a Washington Post columnist and a critic of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - sparked global outrage and pitched the world's top oil exporter into crisis.
When asked who was ultimately responsible for the killing, his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, told Reuters in Turkish: "This took place inside a Saudi diplomatic mission ... In such circumstances, the Saudi Arabian authorities are responsible for this."
"This incident, this assassination, took place in the Saudi consulate," she said, speaking through a translator. "So the Saudi authorities probably know how such a murder took place."
"They need to explain what happened," said Cengiz, who was sombre, guarded and appeared at times on the verge of tears.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Prince Mohammed, who has consolidated control over Saudi security and intelligence agencies over the past three years, bore ultimate responsibility for the operation that led to Khashoggi's killing.
Turkish investigators have recorded statements of 38 employees of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, as part of a probe into killing of journalist Kamal Khashoggi, judicial sources said on Thursday.Since Oct. 19, the investigators have recorded statements of 38 consulate employees as “witnesses”, with five more staffers yet to give their statements, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.A columnist for The Washington Post, Khashoggi was last seen on Oct. 2 when he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.Turkey only allowed to take water sample from well at Saudi consulateAccording to the sources, the employees were asked whether anything out of the ordinary had occurred at the consulate on the day of the journalist’s disappearance and if they had seen the entry of Khashoggi or any of the 15-person group from Saudi Arabia who might be responsible for the journalist’s killing.After days of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that the journalist had been killed inside the consulate.Separately, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamad bin Salman on Thursday chaired a meeting of a newly created committee tasked with restructuring the Saudi intelligence apparatus, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.Saudi Arabia says Khashoggi murder premeditatedAmid the ongoing furor over Khashoggi’s death, Saudi King Salman has sacked the deputy head of the Saudi intelligence agency -- and a top aide -- while also ordering the arrest of 18 suspects in the case.Meanwhile, world leaders continue to urge the Saudi authorities to clarify the circumstances of the journalist’s killing.Saudi Crown Prince's men in Khashoggi killingAll involved in Khashoggi murder must be tried in Turkey: FM
Turkey takes statements of 38 Saudi Consulate employees
Turkish security forces were not allowed to search the garden and well of Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, however, water samples were taken from the well.Since Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance more than three weeks ago, Turkish and Saudi authorities have carried out multiple searches at the consulate and consul general's residence in Istanbul.After weeks of conflicting accounts about the fate of the journalist, Saudi Arabia at the weekend said Khashoggi had been killed in a fight at the consulate, in what U.S. President Donald Trump later called the "worst cover-up ever".Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he would not let those responsible for Khashoggi's killing escape justice, and has urged Saudi Arabia to search from "top to bottom" to uncover those behind the killing.Saudi Arabia says Khashoggi murder premeditatedSaudi Crown Prince's men in Khashoggi killingAll involved in Khashoggi murder must be tried in Turkey: FMCIA director hears Khashoggi murder tape: Report
Turkey only allowed to take water sample from well at Saudi consulate
When asked what she would say to Prince Mohammed if she ever got the chance to speak to him, she said: "I don't think that will ever happen."
Cengiz later told an audience she was disappointed with Trump's response to the killing, suggesting U.S. business ties with Riyadh had influenced his approach to the case.
Khashoggi, 59, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to obtain paperwork necessary for his upcoming marriage to Cengiz, a Turkish national. He did not walk out of the consulate. Cengiz first raised the alarm.
Saudi Arabia initially denied any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance but a Saudi official eventually attributed his death to a botched attempt to return him to the kingdom.
Later, Riyadh said the killing was premeditated and Prince Mohammed has vowed that the killers would be brought to justice.
Saudi Arabia has detained 18 people and dismissed five senior government officials as part of the investigation into Khashoggi's murder. Some were members of a 15-man hit team, many of them Saudi intelligence operatives, who flew into Istanbul hours before Khashoggi's death, Turkish security sources say.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presided over the first meeting of a committee to restructure the command of the general intelligence agency, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said on Thursday.Saudi prosecutor confirms Khashoggi murder was plannedSaudi Crown Prince's men in Khashoggi killingAll involved in Khashoggi murder must be tried in Turkey: FMCIA director hears Khashoggi murder tape: Report
Saudi crown prince presides over committee to restructure intel agency
Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor said on Thursday the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was premeditated, citing a joint Saudi-Turkish investigation, state media reported.Saudi officials had earlier said an internal investigation suggested Khashoggi was killed in a botched operation to "negotiate" his return to the kingdom. Initially, Riyadh denied having anything to do with Khashoggi's disappearance after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.Turkey and Western allies of Riyadh have voiced deep doubt towards Saudi explanations of the killing. Turkey has dismissed Saudi efforts to blame rogue operatives and urged the kingdom to search "top to bottom" for those responsible for the killing."Information from the Turkish side affirms that the suspects in Khashoggi's case premeditated their crime," a statement from the Saudi public prosecutor said.Saudi Crown Prince's men in Khashoggi killingSaudi prosecutors are interrogating suspects on the basis of information provided by a joint Saudi-Turkish task force, the statement carried by the Saudi state news agency added.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the two discussed the steps needed to bring to light all aspects of the killing, Saudi and Turkish media said on Wednesday.CIA director Gina Haspel heard an audio recording of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during her visit to Turkey this week, two sources told Reuters on Thursday.On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying that as Riyadh's paramount ruler, Prince Mohammed bore ultimate responsibility for the operation that led to Khashoggi's death.All involved in Khashoggi murder must be tried in Turkey: FMIn a separate statement, SPA said the crown prince presided over the first meeting of a committee to restructure the kingdom's intelligence services.The meeting evaluated current practices and set up recommendations to improve the agencies' work, it said.British Prime Minister Theresa May joined other Western leaders on Wednesday and expressed scepticism about the Saudi explanation of Khashoggi's death, saying it lacked credibility.Khashoggi affair ‘won’t drive wedge’ between Saudi, TurkeySaudi Energy Minister Khalid Al Falih conceded on Wednesday that the scandal over Khashoggi had hurt the kingdom's image."It's not a death, it's a murder. We admit it, we're dealing with it. As such, we will be transparent and show our allies and friends in the United States ... that the kingdom is as unhappy about what has happened as anybody else," he told CNN on the sidelines of an investment conference in the capital Riyadh."In fact, we are more unhappy because it has tarnished the name of the kingdom," he added. CIA director hears Khashoggi murder tape: Report
Saudi Arabia says Khashoggi murder premeditated
Murder in Istanbul
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who Cengiz praised, has urged Riyadh to disclose who ordered the murder and prosecutors have prepared an extradition request for 18 suspects from Saudi Arabia.
"The explanations given so far by Saudi Arabia are not sufficient," Cengiz said. "I want to know the details of who is responsible."
Asked if she held Crown Prince Mohammed or the Saudi royal family responsible, she said:
"I and my government would like all those responsible, from the person who gave this order to those who carried it out, to be brought to justice and punished under international law," she said.
Cengiz said she had not been contacted by Prince Mohammed or the Saudi royal family, nor offered any condolences by them.
Speaking in central London, she said the West is considered a stronghold of human rights and democracy so it should stand up to the killers of her husband-to-be.
While the mystery behind the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi remains unsolved, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears ready to scapegoat some of his closest associates for the crime after the kingdom admitted that the killing was carried out at its consulate in Istanbul.Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, had gone missing since entering the Saudi consulate on Oct. 2.After days of denying knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi Arabia last week claimed that Khashoggi died during a “brawl” in the consulate.King Salman bin Abdulaziz sacked the deputy head of the country’s intelligence agency and a top aide and ordered the arrest of 18 suspects over the case.The image of Crown Prince bin Salman, who has made considerable efforts to improve the country’s image on the international stage, has been harmed more than he had expected by Khashoggi’s murder.All involved in Khashoggi murder must be tried in Turkey: FMBin Salman began sacking some of those closest to him in a bid to avoid the crisis, which has cast a shadow over his ambitions.Anadolu Agency correspondents have researched four people known for their closeness to bin Salman who were sacked from their posts when Saudi Arabia admitted the killing was carried out in their Istanbul consulate.Saud al-Qahtani, a top aide to the crown prince, deputy intelligence chief Ahmad Asiri, Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a royal guard, and the Interior Ministry’s head of forensic medicine Salah Mohammed al-Tubaiqi have all gained notoriety as the “prince’s men” in the Khashoggi killing.EU pushes 'full, transparent' Khashoggi probeLeader of ‘electronic flies’Al-Qahtani is known as the leader of the "electronic flies" that carry out smear campaigns on social media targeting those against the new administration under bin Salman’s leadership and the people and institutions who have a potential to do so.Born in 1978 in the capital Riyadh, he studied at King Saud University’s Faculty of Law and later did his Masters at the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.Working at the rank of minister at the Royal Court, he earlier served as a Royal Court media adviser and was appointed as an adviser to the office of the crown prince during King Abdullah’s rule.Khashoggi affair ‘won’t drive wedge’ between Saudi, TurkeySources who have close ties to the royal family call al-Qahtani the “privy secretary” of bin Salman.According to the sources, he also speaks on behalf of the crown prince on many occasions and gives instructions to some security forces.In an interview with a U.S. magazine, Khashoggi said al-Qahtani was authorized in the communication unit of the Kingdom during King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s time and added that he was close to al-Qahtani and knew him well.Stating that he became an important person due to his post, Khashoggi added that he controlled the public relations of the unit and Saudi media organs.UK PM: Saudi account of Khashoggi murder ‘not credible’In one of his columns in The Washington Post, Khashoggi also said al-Qahtani had a list of Saudi critics and called on Saudi citizens to contribute names to this list.In reply to the “black list” mentioned by Khashoggi, al-Qahtani wrote last year on Twitter: “Do you think I make decisions without guidance? I am an employee and a faithful executor of the orders of my lord the king and my lord the faithful crown prince.”On the other hand, it is claimed that al-Qahtani established the "electronic flies" social media team to follow daily posts and movements and prepare reports on them.Following the latest developments, al-Qahtani was removed from his post. Even though he was removed from his official duties, it is said that he continues to be active with the electronic team.CIA director hears Khashoggi murder tape: ReportStar of Yemen opThe world has known Maj. Gen. Ahmed Al-Assiri as spokesman of the Arab coalition formed under the leadership of Saudi Arabia to conduct military operations against Yemen.Born in Saudi Arabia in 1959, Al-Assiri graduated from a military school in France and obtained his Master’s degree in Saudi Arabia in an armed forces commandership faculty.He studied History at the world-famous Sorbonne University in Paris and national defense in France.He served as a French interpreter during the First Gulf War, known as 'Operation Desert Storm', which began in August 1990.Al-Assiri became an advisor to the Saudi Defense Minister in 2014 and was appointed as spokesman of the Saudi-led Arab coalition established to conduct military operations against Yemen in 2015.Al-Assiri also has shown Saudi Arabia's defense 'skills' about civilian casualties during Saudi airstrikes in Yemen.He speaks French and English very well and frequently attends meetings of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when foreign guests come to Saudi Arabia.Saudi media reports that he is also a skilled pilot.The BBC said Al-Assiri was 'suspiciously' sacked over the affair by the Saudi crown prince.Murder mastermindMaher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a frequent companion of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and a colonel in Saudi intelligence, is the mastermind of Khashoggi’s murder, according to the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper.Mutreb was leading the Saudi team that came to Istanbul in the early hours of Oct. 2.He was born in 1971.Arab media said Mutreb served as a security attaché at the Saudi consulate in London in 2007 and met Khashoggi in the UK capital.He was assigned to a brigade in the Saudi Royal Guard to protect senior figures and became a frequent companion of the crown prince.Mutreb travelled with bin Salman to the U.S. in March and was alongside him during trips to Spain and France.A BBC story said Mutreb was trained by a European hacker group in hacking and cyber spying in 2011 in Riyadh.Arab media reported that he was the leader of the 'hit team' that came to Istanbul in private jets that had been rented in his name.Mutreb was thought to have received electronic information about Khashoggi and interrogated the Saudi journalist.Arab media added that Mutreb called Saudi Arabia 19 times - including four phone calls to the office of bin Salman's secretary - on the day of Khashoggi’s murder.Forensics expertKnown as Crown Prince bin Salman’s righthand man, Salah Muhammad al-Tubaiqi is thought to be one of the major figures acting on the crown prince’s behalf inside and outside the country, reported The New Arab, a London- based daily.Several reports by Arab and international media said that Tubaiqi, as head of the forensic medicine department in the Saudi Interior Ministry, had arrived in Istanbul on the day of Khashoggi’s disappearance to destroy evidence relating to the case as part of a 15-person team.Born in 1971 in southeastern Saudi Arabia, Tubaiqi left the country in 2004 to study forensic medicine at Glasgow University in the UK.Upon returning, he worked as a pathologist in Riyadh and Dammam, where he conducted several studies on murder cases. He also worked for a short time as a visiting forensic medicine specialist at Australia’s Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.Tubaiqi, who has held various senior positions in forensic medicine in Saudi Arabia, is known as one of the country’s foremost specialists in this field as well as in medical ethics.
Saudi Crown Prince's men in Khashoggi killing
"I am disappointed by the actions of the leadership in many countries, particularly in the U.S.," she later told an audience in London.
"President Trump should help reveal the truth and ensure justice be served. He should not pave the way for a cover-up of my fiance's murder. Let's not let money taint our conscience and compromise our values."
Trump has hedged his criticism of Saudi leaders over Khashoggi, insisting he does not want to imperil a "tremendous order" of $110 billion of weapons he says will support 500,000 U.S. jobs - figures that experts say are highly exaggerated.
Cengiz met Khashoggi in May at a conference in Istanbul and their relationship blossomed. But the decision to marry in Istanbul, whose mosques reminded Khashoggi of his hometown Medina, set off a paper chase that ultimately ended in death.
Turkish law required that Khashoggi, who was divorced, provide proof that he did not have a wife and thus his trip to the consulate. Cengiz said she had been shown no recordings of what happened inside the consulate and that she got most of her information from the media.
"Like everyone else, I am still waiting for answers," she said. "The world should know who instigated, were involved in and committed this crime."