Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, spoke to Habeturk TV and spoke about what she had been going through since Khashoggi's disappearance.
Cengiz said that the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called her following the U.S. President Donald Trump invited her to visit the country.
When asked if Khashoggi was an dissident author, Cengiz said: "I don't know how accurate it would be to evaluate Mr. Jamal's stance [...] He had his own objective stance. There are points he backed and criticized. I'm talking about the new practices, reforms and the crown prince [Mohammad bin Salman]. He was watching the transforming structure with great concern and enthusiasm."
Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, was last seen entering the his country's consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to get documents related to his forthcoming marriage with Cengiz.
Norway's sovereign wealth fund expects to double its investments in Saudi Arabia when the country is included in the fund's reference index a few months from now, Chief Executive Yngve Slyngstad said on Friday.The fund currently has Saudi assets worth 6.9 billion Norwegian crowns ($824.82 million).The recent turmoil surrounding the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi did not influence the investments."We invest in companies, not countries. Our investments in companies based in Saudi Arabia will not be changed based on political developments," Slyngstad told Reuters. ($1 = 8.3655 Norwegian crowns)Kremlin says no reason to doubt Saudi statements on Khashoggi murderCall by Khashoggi’s fiancée caused Saudi hit squad to panic, dump journo’s remains in wellErdoğan asks Saudi Arabia to reveal whereabouts of Khashoggi's bodySaudi van with 3 suitcases leaves Istanbul consulate
Norway wealth fund plans to double Saudi investments
Russia has no reason to doubt the statements of the Saudi king and crown prince that the royal family was not involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Kremlin said on Friday."No one should have any reasons not to believe them," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call on Friday, adding that the Kremlin welcomed the investigation into the murder.Erdoğan asks Saudi Arabia to reveal whereabouts of Khashoggi's body
Kremlin says no reason to doubt Saudi statements on Khashoggi murder
After days of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that the journalist had been killed inside the consulate.
Noting that they wanted to live in the U.S. and Turkey after their marriage, Cengiz said that Khashoggi loved Istanbul where he frequently visited. In addition, she pointed out that Khashoggi had previously met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and he had many friends in Turkey.
She went on to note that they first went to the Saudi Consulate on Sept. 28. Cengiz said both of them were nervous when they first went to the consulate, fearing of a possible interrogation.
However, contrary to their fear, Khashoggi left the diplomatic building happily as the consulate employees were nice to him, according to Cengiz.
Before their second visit to the consulate on Oct. 2, she noted that the Khashoggi told her to go to school, and he would go to the consulate alone.
"Although he said he would go alone, I had this feeling that I shouldn't let him do so," she said, adding that he was encouraged by the first visit to the consulate.
She said she was irritated as Khashoggi hadn't left the building and then frightened after learning that working hours of the consulate were over.
An Iranian member of parliament has called for “trying” Saudi Arabia in an international court for its alleged role in the Oct. 2 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA).“Saudi Arabia has shown its true face with the killing of this journalist and political activist,” ISNA quoted Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of parliament’s foreign relations committee, as saying.Boroujerdi described Khashoggi’s death -- exact circumstances of which remain unknown -- as “a scandal of historic proportions”.The lawmaker went on to assert that the Saudi leadership should be tried before an international tribunal for its alleged role in the murder.Kremlin says no reason to doubt Saudi statements on Khashoggi murderCall by Khashoggi’s fiancée caused Saudi hit squad to panic, dump journo’s remains in wellA columnist for the Washington Post, Khashoggi was last seen on Oct. 2 when he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.After days of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that Khashoggi had died inside the consulate building.In hopes of defusing the international furor over the journalist’s demise, Saudi King Salman sacked the deputy head of the Saudi intelligence agency (and a top aide), while also ordering the arrest of 18 individuals suspected of involvement in the case.On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir admitted that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, but insisted that Mohamed bin Salman -- Saudi Arabia’s high-profile crown prince -- had been unaware of it.Erdoğan asks Saudi Arabia to reveal whereabouts of Khashoggi's bodyWashington Post starts Khashoggi truth ad campaign
Iran MP calls for ‘trying’ Riyadh over Khashoggi murder
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Saudi Arabia on Friday discussed the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a phone call, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his counterpart Adel al-Jubeir exchanged views on the clearing up the case of Khashoggi, said the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.The top diplomats also discussed bilateral ties, the sources added.Iran MP calls for ‘trying’ Riyadh over Khashoggi murderSaudi-born Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.On Thursday, the Saudis appeared to inch closer to Turkey’s initial findings in the investigation when the kingdom’s public prosecutor said evidence provided by Turkey indicated the killing was planned in advance.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday said that Saudi Arabia will send a chief prosecutor to Turkey regarding the case.Norway wealth fund plans to double Saudi investmentsKremlin says no reason to doubt Saudi statements on Khashoggi murderCall by Khashoggi’s fiancée caused Saudi hit squad to panic, dump journo’s remains in well
Turkish FM discusses Khashoggi case with Saudi counterpart
"Then, a Turkish official told me that everyone had left the building and there was no one inside," she said, adding that she felt the greatest fear of losing him at that time.
Cengiz said she handed Khashoggi's computer, phones and private belongings to the prosecutor 3-4 days following the incident. "The situation has both political and judicial and humanitarian aspects," she said.
She said she "died every day" until Saudi Arabia made an official statement regarding Khashoggi’s murder.
"All government authorities, particularly Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, were closely interested in the issue. They have supported me in this period," she said.
Trump’s invitation
Calling Donald Trump's statements on the murder as "contradicting", she said that she perceived Trump's statements as an attempt to gain public sympathy.
"In my article, I stated that I would go to the White House if they took a step towards solving the issue. A couple of days after Trump's invitation, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called me and I told him what I wanted to tell Donald Trump."
When asked whether she would go to the U.S., she responded: "I won't, at this stage.”
She applauded the Washington Post editor for keeping the issue on the newspaper’s agenda.
The fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz, on Friday said that the journalist was "worried" before he entered the Consulate of Saudi Arabia on Oct. 2.She told Turkish broadcaster Habertürk that Khashoggi had mentioned there could be some issues with him going to the consulate.He assumed Saudi authorities would not interrogate or arrest him in Turkey, although he was concerned tensions would arise when he visited the consulate in Istanbul, added Cengiz.Merkel says no arms to Saudi Arabia until Khashoggi killing explainedShe said that she did not accept U.S. President Donald Trump's invitation to visit the White House because she thought it was aimed at influencing public opinion in his favour.She added that she would not go to the White House until the United States was sincere in its efforts to solve Khashoggi's killing, demanding that all those responsible be tried and punished.Khashoggi had said he was treated well during his first visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Sept. 28, his fiancee Cengiz said.Austria calls on EU to halt arms sales to Saudi ArabiaShe added that Khashoggi did not tell her to call anyone in case anything happened to him during his second visit on Oct. 2 but that he had previously told her to contact Yasin Aktay, an adviser of Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, if he faced any trouble in Turkey. Khashoggi was a U.S. resident who wrote columns for the Washington Post and a critic of the Saudi government, calling for reforms.Turkish officials suspect Saudi security agents killed Khashoggi, 59, inside the consulate and dismembered his body. Turkish sources say authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting the murder.Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor said on Thursday the killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was premeditated, reversing a previous official statement that it happened accidentally during a tussle in the consulate.Iran MP calls for ‘trying’ Riyadh over Khashoggi murderTurkey takes statements of 38 Saudi Consulate employeesTurkey only allowed to take water sample from well at Saudi consulateSaudi crown prince presides over committee to restructure intel agencyKhashoggi affair ‘won’t drive wedge’ between Saudi, Turkey
Khashoggi's fiancee says journalist was 'worried' before entering Saudi consulate
Austria has called on EU member states on Friday to stop arms exports to Saudi Arabia after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said the killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul was an “unprecedented breach of law”.She accused Saudi Arabia of practicing massive human rights violations at home, and their controversial policies in the Middle East region.“Especially the horrible war in Yemen and the Qatar crisis should be reason enough for European Union members to adopt a common stance towards Saudi Arabia,” Kneissl told Die Welt newspaper.Iran MP calls for ‘trying’ Riyadh over Khashoggi murder“If we all, the entire European Union, would stop arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia, this can contribute to ending these conflicts,” she added.Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, was last seen on Oct. 2 when he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.After weeks of denying involvement in his disappearance, Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced that he died in a fight inside the consulate.On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate, but insisted that Mohamed bin Salman -- Saudi Arabia’s high-profile crown prince -- had been unaware of a plot to murder the journalist.Turkish FM discusses Khashoggi case with Saudi counterpartNorway wealth fund plans to double Saudi investmentsCall by Khashoggi’s fiancée caused Saudi hit squad to panic, dump journo’s remains in well
Austria calls on EU to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia
Cengiz expressed hope that all those involved in the crime were tried and punished.
Noting that Khashoggi had told his family and friends that he wanted to be buried near Medina, she said it wasn't appropriate to talk about this as the body was still missing.
Nonetheless, Cengiz said Khashoggi's will would be fulfilled if the body was found.
Cengiz several times broke into tears during the live interview.
Amid 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.
Turkish police have been investigating the case, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said 18 people arrested in Saudi Arabia over the killing should be sent to Turkey to face the trial.
Defence Secretary Jim Mattis will stress the U.S. commitment to Middle East security at the weekend, officials said, amid Western concern that any loosening of U.S. ties to Riyadh after Jamal Khashoggi's murder could allow Russia to fill the vacuum.Mattis will give a speech at the annual Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain on Saturday on the United States' policy in the Middle East which will be closely watched in capitals around the region.Katie Wheelbarger, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said that Mattis' speech would emphasize that the United States was committed to help allies "re-instill stability in a chaotic region.""So continue to look to the United states as your security partner of choice because you can rely on us and depend on us to be there long term," Wheelbarger told reporters travelling with Mattis.Macron slams calls to halt arms sales to Saudi as populistThere is increasing concern that if Washington abandons the region, countries like Russia will fill the vacuum.Nowhere will the speech be watched more closely then in Riyadh, after Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor said the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate this month was premeditated.The death of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has sparked global outrage and mushroomed into a crisis for the world's top oil exporter and strategic ally of the West.Merkel says no arms to Saudi Arabia until Khashoggi killing explainedRiyadh is expected to be watching how far, if at all, Mattis goes in censuring the kingdom in his speech.After Saudi King Salman spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday about the killing, the Kremlin said Russia had no reason to doubt the statements of the king and crown prince that the royal family was not involved.Dozens of Western officials, bankers, and executives shunned a big investment conference in Riyadh this week.Khashoggi's fiancee says journalist was 'worried' before entering Saudi consulateRussia sent the head of its Russian sovereign wealth fund RDIF, who said Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund would become a new partner in a joint Russia-China Investment Fund.Saudi Arabia is the lynchpin of a U.S.-backed regional bloc against Iran but the crisis has strained Riyadh's relations with the West.Experts believe that Washington will have to take some measures to make clear to Saudi Arabia that Khashoggi's killing is unacceptable."I think the key here is that if the administration wants to shift the focus back onto Iran the only way to do that is by taking some steps to respond to what the Saudis have done," Dennis Ross, who served as top Middle East adviser to President Barack Obama, said.Austria calls on EU to halt arms sales to Saudi ArabiaRoss said the increased global pressure on Riyadh may also present an opportunity for Washington to push the kingdom to end a 16-month-old dispute between Qatar and four Arab states that analysts say has weakened regional coordination against Iran.Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of backing their arch-rival, Iran, and supporting terrorism. Qatar denies the charges and says the boycott impinges on its sovereignty.The United States has tried, without success, to mediate in the dispute. It is an ally of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, and Qatar is home to a major U.S. air base."This might not be a bad time for the administration to try to go back in and mediate that dispute, this might be a point where the Saudis will want to be more responsive to us," Ross said. 
Mattis to stress US-Mideast security ties amid Khashoggi strains
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday dismissed as "demagoguery" the calls by several European countries including Germany to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi."What's the link between arms sales and Mr Khashoggi's murder? I understand the connection with what's happening in Yemen, but there is no link with Mister Khashoggi," Macron told a news conference in Slovakia."That's pure demagoguery to say 'we must stop arms sales'. It's got nothing to do with Mr Khashoggi," he added.Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl told a German newspaper the European Union should halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia following the killing of Khashoggi, saying it could also help end "the terrible war in Yemen".The comments from Austria, the current president of the EU, came after Germany said it would stop approving weapons exports to Saudi Arabia until Khashoggi's death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is cleared up. Merkel says no arms to Saudi Arabia until Khashoggi killing explainedAustria calls on EU to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia
Macron slams calls to halt arms sales to Saudi as populist
German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed again on Friday to halt all German arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was explained."It is necessary to clarify the background of this horrible incident," she said in Prague during a news conference with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. "And if that does not happen, we will not deliver any arms to Saudia Arabia."Khashoggi's fiancee says journalist was 'worried' before entering Saudi consulateIran MP calls for ‘trying’ Riyadh over Khashoggi murderTurkish FM discusses Khashoggi case with Saudi counterpartCall by Khashoggi’s fiancée caused Saudi hit squad to panic, dump journo’s remains in well
Merkel says no arms to Saudi Arabia until Khashoggi killing explained