Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay
Turkey is looking for the person, who ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on its soil, the country’s vice president said on Monday.
Fuat Oktay was Monday's guest at the Anadolu Agency’s Editors’ Desk.
Oktay said that Turkey carried out an investigation into Khashoggi’s killing with “transparency and a serious manner.”
He stated that Turkey has given a message that no one can ever attempt to commit such a murder those who do “will pay the price.”
Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, disappeared on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to receive paperwork he needed to get married.
Once inside, he was immediately strangled and then dismembered, according to the Istanbul Prosecutor’s office.
The chief of a Qatari daily said Friday that Turkey had refrained from politicizing the killing of a Saudi journalist and was dealing with the issue in a professional manner.Jaber al-Haremi, director general of Dar al-Arab, told Anadolu Agency that while Turkey had endeavored to uphold good relations with the Saudi kingdom since the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh had continually rejected Ankara’s positive approach.Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, disappeared on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to receive paperwork he needed to get married. Once inside, he was immediately strangled and then dismembered, according to the Istanbul Prosecutor’s office.Al-Haremi said Oct. 2 would remain a day of sorrow for the press, emphasizing that Khashoggi was targeted for his ideas, ideals and aspirations as well as his advocacy for jailed journalists in Saudi Arabia and throughout the world.'Khashoggi’s body was dismembered, dissolved in acid'Saudi prince disparaged Khashoggi in US calls: reportGermany hardening line on Saudi Arabia and KhashoggiArab media covers Turkey's Khashoggi statement
Turkey praised for handling of Khashoggi affair
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday the order for journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing came from the top levels of the Saudi government.In an opinion piece published in The Washington Post, Erdoğan said Turkey knows the perpetrators are among the 18 suspects detained in Saudi Arabia."We also know that those individuals came to carry out their orders: Kill Khashoggi and leave. Finally, we know that the order to kill Khashoggi came from the highest levels of the Saudi government," said Erdoğan. Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, disappeared Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to receive paperwork he needed to get married.Once inside, he was immediately strangled and then dismembered, according to the Istanbul Prosecutor’s office.The president said Turkey's efforts led the world to learn Khashoggi was killed in cold blood by a death squad and established his murder was premeditated."Yet there are other, no less significant questions whose answers will contribute to our understanding of this deplorable act," said Erdoğan, including the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body, the identity of the "local collaborator" who was given his remains, and who ordered the killing."Unfortunately, the Saudi authorities have refused to answer those questions," said Erdoğan, who pledged to keep asking questions, which he said were crucial to the Turkish probe into the murder.'Khashoggi’s body was dismembered, dissolved in acid'Saudi prince disparaged Khashoggi in US calls: reportGermany hardening line on Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi'Proper burial'"At the very least, he deserves a proper burial in line with Islamic customs. We owe it to his family and friends, including his former colleagues at The Post, to give them an opportunity to say their goodbyes and pay their respects to this honorable man," said Erdoğan.He said Ankara and Riyadh enjoy friendly relations despite the killing."I do not believe for a second that King Salman, the custodian of the holy mosques, ordered the hit on Khashoggi. Therefore, I have no reason to believe that his murder reflected Saudi Arabia’s official policy. In this sense, it would be wrong to view the Khashoggi slaying as a 'problem' between two countries," said the president.Also, he said the "longtime" friendship between Turkey and Saudi Arabia does not mean Ankara would "will turn a blind eye to the premeditated murder that unfolded in front of our very eyes."The killing of Khashoggi is inexplicable," said Erdoğan.The president warned that no one should dare commit "such acts on the soil of a NATO ally again". "If anyone chooses to ignore that warning, they will face severe consequences. The Khashoggi murder was a clear violation and a blatant abuse of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Failure to punish the perpetrators could set a very dangerous precedent.”Erdoğan also slammed inaction against the Saudi consul general, who he said lied through his teeth to the media and fled Turkey shortly afterward, calling it "deeply concerning"."As responsible members of the international community, we must reveal the identities of the puppet masters behind Khashoggi’s killing and discover those in whom Saudi officials — still trying to cover up the murder — have placed their trust," he said.Norway summoned Saudi ambassador over Khashoggi murderPompeo says 'handful more weeks' before US responds to Khashoggi killingIsraeli official says Khashoggi death 'despicable', but Iran greater challenge
Erdoğan says top Saudi officials ordered Khashoggi hit
Iran sanctions
Oktay also talked about the U.S. sanctions on Iran and said it's “not meaningful and fair” to expect all countries to obey sanctions for a country’s interests.
"We clearly expressed our stance about the U.S. sanctions. We'll see fallouts of a statement to be made today", he added.
The U.S. reimposed all of the sanctions it lifted on Iran following a historic pact world powers struck with the Islamic Republic.
Announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week, the sanctions which cover Iran's energy, shipbuilding, shipping and financial sectors took effect on Monday.
They are the second batch the U.S. administration reinstated since President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in May despite objections from close allies in Europe.
The U.S. is seeking to "alter" Iranian behavior with the sanctions, and has been leaking out a stream of 12 demands it wants to see Iran agree to in exchange for re-lifting the economic penalties.
Eight countries who have significantly curtailed their imports of Iranian oil have been granted temporary waivers to allow them to continue importing Iranian oil after the penalties take effect.
Two of the countries have agreed to reduce imports to zero while six others "will import at greatly reduced levels," Pompeo said.
Separately, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Friday that Turkey is among the countries, which are exempted from these sanctions.
Iranians chanting "Death to America" rallied on Sunday to mark both the anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy during the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the imminent reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran's key oil sector.Thousands of students in the government-organised rally in the capital Tehran, broadcast live by state television, burned the Stars and Stripes, an effigy of Uncle Sam and pictures of President Donald Trump outside the leafy downtown compound that once housed the U.S. mission.Hardline students stormed the embassy on Nov. 4, 1979 soon after the fall of the U.S.-backed Shah, and 52 Americans were held hostage there for 444 days. The two countries have been enemies, on opposite sides of Middle East conflict, ever since.Video: Iranians rally in Tehran to mark 39th anniv. of US Embassy takeoverIranian state media said millions turned out for rallies in most cities and towns around the country, swearing allegiance to the clerical establishment and its hardline top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The turnout figure could not be independently confirmed by Reuters.Rallies replete with "Death to America" chants are staged on the embassy takeover anniversary every year. But U.S.-Iranian rancour is especially strong this time round following Trump's decision in May to withdraw the United States from world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions on Tehran.Iran seeks European assurances as US oil sanctions loomIran's Khamenei says the world opposes Trump's decisionsThe deal brought about the lifting of most international financial and economic sanctions on Iran in return for Tehran curbing its disputed nuclear activity under U.N. surveillance.The restoration of U.S. sanctions on Monday targeting Iran's oil sales and banking sectors is part of a wider effort by Trump to force Tehran to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes outright as well as support for proxy forces in conflicts across the Middle East.The top commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said at the Tehran rally that Iran would resist and defeat a U.S. "psychological war" and the return of U.S. sanctions, meant to cripple the Islamic Republic's oil exports and financial institutions."America has launched an economic and psychological war as a last resort ... But America's plots and its plans for sanctions will be defeated through continued resistance," said Jafari.In a speech on Saturday, Khamenei said Trump's policies faced opposition around the world. "America's goal has been to re-establish the domination it had (before 1979) but it has failed. America has been defeated by the Islamic Republic over the past 40 years," he said.Guards chief says Iran will resist, defeat US sanctions
Iranian marchers chant 'Death to America' on eve of US oil sanctions
The top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said on Sunday Iran would resist and defeat a U.S. “psychological war” and sanctions against its vital oil sector.“America has launched an economic and psychological war as a last resort ... But America’s plots and its plans for sanctions will be defeated through continued resistance,” Jafari said at a rally marking the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, which was broadcast live on state television.UAE blames Iran's 'aggressive policies' for US sanctionsIran seeks European assurances as US oil sanctions loomIran's Khamenei says the world opposes Trump's decisions
Guards chief says Iran will resist, defeat US sanctions
Normalizing ties with US
About the Turkey-U.S. relations, Oktay said Turkey's problem in relations with the U.S. was never about pastor Andrew Brunson. “We did not have such a problem nor do we still think it is one,” he said.
Turkey and the U.S. have faced rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions over Brunson's detention.
Political tensions between the two countries sparked worries in the markets after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to use economic pressure to secure Brunson's release.
Brunson, who was freed on October 12, had been arrested in December 2016 and charged in the Aegean province of Izmir for having links to the FETO, the group behind a defeated coup earlier that year.
After being transferred this July from jail to house arrest, Brunson was sentenced to just over three years in prison, but released due to time served and his good behavior in custody.
Oktay said Turkey will start discussing real problems to normalize ties with the U.S.
The European Union is opposed to the United States' decision to reimpose oil and financial sanctions against Iran, European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Monday."The European Union does not approve of it," Moscovici told franceinfo radio, hours after further U.S. sanctions on Iran came into force.Washington decided to reinstate punitive measures that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by the administration of President Barack Obama, and added 300 new designations in Iran's oil, shipping, insurance and banking sectors.US ratchets up pressure on Iran with resumption of sanctionsIranians stage anti-US rallies in TehranRouhani says Iran to sell oil, break US sanctions
EU opposed to US resumption of sanctions on Iran: Moscovici
The United States reimposes oil and financial sanctions against Iran on Monday, significantly turning up the pressure on Tehran in order to curb its missile and nuclear programs and counter its growing military and political influence in the Middle East.The move will restore U.S. sanctions that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by the administration of President Barack Obama, and add 300 new designations in Iran's oil, shipping, insurance and banking sectors.President Donald Trump announced in May that his administration was withdrawing from what he called the "worst ever" agreement negotiated by the United States. Other parties to the deal, including Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, have said they will not leave.Details of the sanctions will be released at a news conference scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT) with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.China, India, South Korea, Japan and Turkey - all top importers of Iranian oil - are among eight countries expected to be given temporary exemptions from the sanctions to ensure crude oil prices are not destabilised.Rouhani says Iran to sell oil, break US sanctionsUS resumes all pre-nuclear deal sanctions on IranThe countries will deposit Iran's revenue in an escrow account, U.S. officials have said.Washington has said it will ensure a well supplied global oil market, with help from ally Saudi Arabia, as Iran oil is cut back. Front-month Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $72.53 per barrel on Monday.The reimposition of the sanctions comes as the United States is focused on U.S. congressional and gubernatorial elections on Tuesday. Campaigning in Chattanooga, Tennessee, late on Sunday, Trump said his "maximum pressure" policy against Iran was working."Iran is a much different country than it was when I took office," said Trump, adding: "They wanted to take over the whole Middle East. Right now they just want to survive."Earlier, thousands of Iranians chanted "Death to America" at a rally to mark the anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that Iran should implement policies to safeguard its macroeconomic stability in the face of sanctions.Senior Iranian officials have dismissed concerns about the impact to its economy."America will not be able to carry out any measure against our great and brave nation ... We have the knowledge and the capability to manage the country's economic affairs," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told state TV on Friday.Second wave of US sanctions on Iran starts MondayIranian marchers chant 'Death to America' on eve of US oil sanctionsBahrain court overturns acquittal of opposition leaders
US ratchets up pressure on Iran with resumption of sanctions
Turkey's counter-terror fight to go on
"Our fight on our borders will continue until the moment when no element threatening Turkey is left," Oktay said, and added that Turkey will not allow any threats or any formations anywhere.
"Turkey has shown its determination and done what is necessary," the vice president said.
"Turkey won't tolerate any terrorist threat on its 911-kilometer long border [with Syria]," he added.
Oktay said the U.S. promised to eliminate PKK/YPG in Syria’s Manbij but it postponed the solution. “Turkey does not have tolerance to postpone it any further,” he added.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children.
"A country has to be strong in economic, military, political and social terms in order to have stability," Oktay said.
About the Turkish economy, Oktay said: “We live at a time, where the foreign exchange, dollar and domestic policies are used as weapons in the economy.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday called on PYD/YPG terrorists to leave the northern Syrian city of Manbij “as soon as possible.”"Our goal is the exit of terror groups PYD/YPG from Manbij as soon as possible," Erdoğan said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Istanbul.The joint press conference comes after the 7th meeting of Ukraine-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. Erdogan said he will also meet his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on sidelines of international meeting due to be held in Paris on Nov. 10-11.He recalled a Manbij roadmap previously set between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo."However, this road map was not complied," said Erdogan, adding that "now it is time to implement it" and "the process is ongoing".Erdoğan: Turkey works ‘with might and main’ for youthOn Friday, Turkish National Defense Ministry shared a footage of the first round of the Turkey-U.S. joint patrols in Manbij that was conducted as part of the deal between the two countries.The Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S. focuses on the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the city to stabilize the region, which is in the northeast of Syria's Aleppo province.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including those of women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch.Upon a question, Erdogan said during their recent phone conversation with Trump, they also discussed the issue of Turkey's state-run lender Halkbank. Erdogan said the U.S. president told him that he would immediately instruct his ministers about it.Ankara shares footage on joint Turkey-US patrols in ManbijSyrians want Turkey to free Tal Abyad from terroristsTurkey-Ukraine tiesRegarding Turkish-Ukrainian relations, Erdoğan pointed out that the number of tourists coming from Ukraine to Turkey has surpassed one million in 2018."We will continue to strengthen our relations with Ukraine," Erdoğan said.He said Turkey wishes early resolution of conflict in eastern Ukraine through “diplomatic and peaceful means.”Turkey has never recognized illegal annexation of Crimea and it will never do in the future, Turkish president added.In March 2014, Russia annexed Crimea after a controversial referendum, which drew the ire of the international community as Russian soldiers occupied the region during the voting process.Erdoğan said Ukraine has supported Turkey after the failed coup attempt in 2016."I believe that our cooperation will continue in the following period in order to totally abolish FETO [Fetullah Terrorist Organization] presence in Ukraine," he said.Regarding political prisoners in Russia, Erdogan said that he was previously notified about two Crimeans in Russian prisons; he said he conveyed the issue to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the two were released."Now a larger list was given and again we immediately conveyed it to the Russian side," Erdogan added.For his part, Poroshenko said Saturday's Istanbul meeting was very "fruitful".He also said the leaders of the two countries have given necessary instructions for signing Free Trade Agreement “as soon as possible.”Earlier on Saturday, Poroshenko also visited Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul and met with Patriarch Bartholomew.Poroshenko and Bartholomew signed a cooperation agreement regarding the ongoing process for establishing an independent Ukrainian church.On October 11, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was agreed to be independent of the Russian Orthodox Church during a meeting held at the Patriarchate in Istanbul.
Erdoğan calls on terrorists to leave Syria's Manbij
Syrians who fled YPG/PKK’s terrorist activities in Tal Abyad district of Raqqah in Syria and took refuge in Turkey want to return to their homeland.Inhabitants in Tal Abyad, whose houses were forcibly evacuated, had to take refuge in Turkey’s southeastern province of Sanliurfa’s Akcakale district and they are now expecting Turkey’s support to clear their district of the terrorists.Shair Radeyni, who came to Akcakale three years ago, told Anadolu Agency that the terrorist group deported mostly Sunni Arabs.“Turkey was the only country standing by Syrians,” he said.Syrians want Turkey to free Tal Abyad from terroristsTurkish, US forces start joint patrols in Syria's ManbijPKK uses Turkey as excuse to end anti-Daesh ops in SyriaAhmet Seyh Ahmet, another Syrian, accused the YPG/PKK terrorists of planting hashish in the locals’ fields and selling drugs.“They are forcibly recruiting children of 11-12 years of age to fight in their ranks,” Ahmet added.“Our house is 200 meters away, every morning I come and look at my house and field from the border,” he said.“We want to return to our lands,” he said, adding: “We want help from Turkey, our only supporter on this issue.”Omer Dede, vice-president of the Syrian Arab and Turkmen Tribes Association, said only Turkey can clear Tal Abyad of the terrorists.“We are looking forward to returning to our lands of our ancestors,” he said.“We rely on Turkey, I hope that they will save us from the oppression of these traitors,” he added.Turkish army 'neutralizes' 124 PKK terrorists in a weekSyrian regime strikes Idlib de-escalation zone, killing 10 civiliansSenior PKK terrorist neutralized in SE Turkey
Refugees from Raqqah want to return to their homeland