Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Tuesday he was "deeply concerned" at Turkey's description of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder as "premeditated".
Hunt’s remarks came shortly after a statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the case which has drawn strong reactions from across the world.
“The world is still waiting for answers,” Hunt said on Twitter.
Khashoggi, a columnist for Washington Post, went missing on Oct. 2 after he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
After days of denying to know his whereabouts, Saudi Arabia last week claimed Khashoggi died during a fight inside the consulate.
Saudi king Salman received family members of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Riyadh, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday.They included his son, Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi, and the meeting was also attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, SPA said.Saudi Press Agency releases a picture of Jamal Khashoggi's son meeting Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh pic.twitter.com/oyqNLbBZQ4— TRT World (@trtworld) 23 Ekim 2018 King Salman: Saudi Arabia to hold to account those involved in Khashoggi killing
Saudi king, crown prince meet Khashoggi family members
On the 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.
Speaking at a party meeting, Erdogan said Turkey has strong evidence that the murder was preplanned.
"Murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was premeditated," Erdogan said.
On Monday, Hunt rejected the explanation provided by Saudi Arabia over the murder.
Hunt said the questions of "who authorized the dispatch of 15 officials from Saudi Arabia to Istanbul?", "when the Riyadh government first learned of Khashoggi’s death?", "why there was a delay in allowing investigators into the consulate?" and "why Khashoggi’s death was not disclosed until Oct. 19, some 17 days after it happened?" must be answered by the Saudi government.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday there were strong indications that Jamal Khashoggi's killing was planned and stated that attempts to blame it on intelligence operatives - Riyadh has suggested it was a rogue operation - "will not satisfy us."Erdoğan said that he does not doubt Saudi King Salman's sincerity, without elaborating. He also said the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body were still unknown and he demanded Saudi Arabia to reveal the identity of a "local cooperator" who purportedly took the body."The murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi was premeditated," Erdoğan said, adding Khashoggi’s killing was a “political murder.”In a speech to parliament, Erdoğan did not mention Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who some U.S. lawmakers suspect ordered the killing. But he said Turkey would not complete its investigation into Khashoggi's death until all questions were answered.Lebanon’s Hariri hails Saudi effort on Khashoggi murder"Intelligence and security institutions have evidence showing the murder was planned.... Pinning such a case on some security and intelligence members will not satisfy us or the international community," the president remarked.“Consulate cameras had been removed,” Erdoğan said, adding that “the team who committed the murder was previously notified” that Khashoggi would be at the consulate.He said evidence proved Khashoggi was "brutally murdered,” and called for the 18 suspects in the case to stand trial in Istanbul.“Everybody, from the instructor of the murder to the implementer, should answer to clear mankind's conscience,” he said.Indonesia expresses condolences to Khashoggi familyIn his speech, Erdoğan also said that the Saudi government formally admitted to the killing of Khashoggi 17 days after his murder."The Vienna convention would not allow such a'brutal murder to happen," Erdoğan stated."Diplomatic immunity, which is a part of the Vienna Convention, will be debated," he remarked.Erdoğan said a Saudi team of 15 entered the consulate the day of the killing, and that three men from the team went on an exploration trip to Belgrad forest in Istanbul and Yalova, a 90-kilometre (55 mile) drive south of Istanbul.Website of Saudi investment conference hackedKhashoggi vanished after entering the consulate on Oct. 2 to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage.Erdoğan also extended his condolences to Khashoggi’s fiancée, his family and Saudi Arabia.Khashoggi was a U.S. resident who wrote columns for the Washington Post and a critic of the Saudi government, calling for reforms.After denying any involvement in the disappearance of Khashoggi, 59, for two weeks, Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning said he had died in a fistfight at the consulate. An hour later, another Saudi official attributed the death to a chokehold, which a senior official reiterated.Turkey has not yet shared any information with any country on Khashoggi case: FMSaudi foreign minister pledges full probe into Khashoggi killingAK Party to continue cooperation with MHPTurkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party will not form an alliance with the nationalist party for the 2019 local elections, but cooperation between the two parties will continue, Erdoğan said on Tuesday, after the nationalists pulled out of the alliance earlier.The People's Alliance between AK Party and the MHP was formed this February ahead of the June presidential and parliamentary elections, and continued in some forms between the two parties."We see the People's Alliance as one of the most important gains of our country recently, and we want to carry it into future," Erdoğan stressed, but added that it would run independently from the MHP in the March 2019 local election.The president said they never did anything which will harm the spirit of the alliance, adding that his party will not be involved in any action.Turkey's opposition MHP no longer seeks alliance in upcoming local elections, Bahçeli says
Erdoğan: Evidence shows Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered
“The actions Britain and our allies take will depend on two things: firstly the credibility of the final explanation given by Saudi Arabia, and secondly on our confidence that such an appalling episode cannot - and will not - be repeated,” Hunt added.
Also reacting to Erdogan’s speech, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said the Turkish president had directed some questions to Saudi officials.
Sky News reported the spokesman as saying that the statement by Turkish president underscores the fact that questions over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi remain which only the Saudis have answers to.