Turkish officials leave consulate after search
A Turkish official said police found evidence inside the Saudi Consulate proving that missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed there, AP reported on Tuesday.
Overnight, Turkish crime scene investigators entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the last place Khashoggi was seen before vanishing, for the first time and searched the premises for over nine hours.
They will continue on Tuesday, expanding their search to include the residence of the Saudi consul as well as consulate vehicles.
Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of the Saudi crown prince, vanished after entering the consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say they believe he was murdered there and his body removed, which the Saudis strongly deny.
A Saudi prince living in exile in Germany, Khaled bin Farhan al-Saud, has claimed that authorities of the Kingdom planned to kidnap him, resembling the plot against prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to British publication the Independent.Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of the Saudi crown prince, vanished after entering the consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say they believe he was murdered there and his body removed, which the Saudis strongly deny.The prince said that they had planned this plot against him just 10 days before Khashoggi went missing.“Over 30 times the Saudi authorities have told me to meet them in the Saudi embassy but I have refused every time,” he said. “I know what can happen if I go into the embassy,” said the 41-year-old prince. He added that the authorities promised his family a large cheque if the prince agreed to come to Egypt to meet regime officials at the consulate.CNN and the New York Times reported Saudi Arabia was preparing to acknowledge Khashoggi's death in a botched interrogation, after denying for two weeks any role in his disappearance. “Just five days ago a group tried to visit King Salman saying they were afraid for the future of the al-Saud family, they mentioned Mr Khashoggi’s case. They were all put in jail,” he added.Pompeo tells Saudis US is concerned about KhashoggiErdoğan says some material at Saudi consulate painted overKhashoggi, a familiar face on Arab talk shows, moved to Washington last year fearing retribution for his criticism of Prince Mohammed, who has cracked down on dissent with arrests.The New York Times, citing a person familiar with the Saudi plans, reported the crown prince had approved an interrogation or abduction of Khashoggi. The Saudi government, it said, would shield the prince by blaming an intelligence official for the bungled operation.
Dissident prince says Saudi planned vanishing act for him as Khashoggi case heats up
CNN and the New York Times reported Saudi Arabia was preparing to acknowledge Khashoggi's death in a botched interrogation, after denying for two weeks any role in his disappearance.
Khashoggi, a familiar face on Arab talk shows, moved to Washington last year fearing retribution for his criticism of Prince Mohammed, who has cracked down on dissent with arrests.
The New York Times, citing a person familiar with the Saudi plans, reported the crown prince had approved an interrogation or abduction of Khashoggi. The Saudi government, it said, would shield the prince by blaming an intelligence official for the bungled operation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Tuesday said, "We have to solve this issue" regarding the investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, adding that his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo, who visited Riyadh on Tuesday would bring information from the Kingdom to Turkey.Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of the Saudi crown prince, vanished after entering the consulate on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say they believe he was murdered there and his body removed, which the Saudis strongly deny."It's the responsibility of the Chief Prosecutors' Office to decide whom to interrogate or the questions to be asked... The prosecutors may ask for the testimony of [any Saudi officials at the consulate] if needed," he said, at a news conference following a meeting with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Kudret Özersay.Çavuşoğlu underlined the importance of a "transparent and result-oriented" approach, adding: "The situation needs to be clarified so that nobody has any question marks in their mind."He also said the Saudi consul general was free to go to his country if he wants."If any Saudi diplomat wants to go to their country, they can go. There is no restriction."Pompeo tells Saudis US is concerned about KhashoggiSaudi residence, vehicles will be searchedTurkish officials will extend their investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to include the residence of the Saudi consul and some vehicles, Çavuşoğlu said on Tuesday.Turkish police entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul late on Monday for the first time since he vanished two weeks ago, searching the premises for nine hours.He also said that Turkey had "not received a confession" from Saudi Arabia regarding the disappearance of Khashoggi.Evidence found in Saudi consulate proving Khashoggi was killed there
Pompeo to bring info on Khashoggi from Riyadh to Ankara: Turkish FM
Some materials at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared two weeks ago have been painted over, Turkey's President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday.Speaking after Turkish police entered the consulate for the first time and searched the premises for nine hours, Erdoğan also told reporters that they were looking into toxic materials at the mission.Turkish officials have told Reuters that authorities have an audio recording indicating that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, and have shared evidence with countries including Saudi Arabia and the United States. Saudi Arabia has denied any role in Khashoggi's disappearance.UN rights chief Bachelet calls for lifting of immunity in Khashoggi case"My hope is that we can reach conclusions that will give us a reasonable opinion as soon as possible, because the investigation is looking into many things such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting them over," Erdoğan told reporters in Ankara.A Turkish diplomatic source said the investigators planned to widen their search on Tuesday to the residence of the Saudi consul. Turkish television channels have previously shown footage of a large vehicle leaving the consulate two hours after Khashoggi vanished and parking at the consul's residence.Video: Erdoğan: Some materials at Saudi consulate painted overKhashoggi’s family calls for international inquiryTurkey could take needed steps east of EuphratesFollowing two major anti-terror operations in Syria, Turkey’s president warned on Tuesday that Turkey could also take decisive steps against the PKK/YPG terrorist presence east of the Euphrates River."If the necessary steps are not taken [by the U.S.] to the east of the Euphrates [against PKK/YPG] ... we will take the necessary steps at the highest level," Erdoğan told his party's parliamentary group.Erdoğan said that Turkey would take measures in the area "not only for the peace of our country but also for the people living in this region."US continues to arm PKK terrorists in Syria under the pretext of fighting Daesh"Up to now, Turkey has determinedly taken steps, and it will continue to do so," he added, referring to Turkey's cross-border operations in Syria since 2016 -- Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch -- meant to rid border areas of terrorist groups such as the PKK/PYD.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has taken 40,000 lives, including many women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch.Erdoğan also said the government has prepared the first budget under Turkey's new presidential system."We will submit the 2019 budget to parliament tomorrow," he said.After the Planning and Budget Commission debates the budget, it would then proceed to the general assembly.Turkey’s MHP demands operation in eastern Euphrates
Erdoğan says some material at Saudi consulate painted over
Following similar permission for a search of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkish and Saudi officials are set to search the residence of the Saudi consul concerning the case of a missing journalist.The search is meant to shed light on the case of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who has not been seen since he entered the Saudi consulate on Oct. 2, said Turkish Foreign Ministry officials, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.On Monday, Turkish and Saudi officials started a joint investigation of the case.The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office assigned an acting chief prosecutor and public prosecutor to the case.UN rights chief Bachelet calls for lifting of immunity in Khashoggi caseAlso on the team are specialists from the Istanbul Provincial Security Directorate’s anti-terror branch and crime scene investigation units.On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz spoke on the phone about forming a joint working group to probe Khashoggi’s disappearance, according to presidential sources.Also on Oct. 2, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the building while Khashoggi was still inside, Turkish police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of what happened to Khashoggi, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K. -- are pressing for the mystery to be cleared up as soon as possible.Khashoggi’s family calls for international inquiryUS Secretary of state arrives in Riyadh to discuss Khashoggi case
Turks, Saudis to search consul's residence in Istanbul