Israel’s Gaza war part of bin Salman plot to distract world from Khashoggi killing

Turkey not satisfied by Saudi prosecutor comments on Khashoggi: FM

Turkey is not satisfied with remarks from Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Ankara's foreign minister said on Thursday, adding the journalist was targeted in a premeditated killing.Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and a Washington Post columnist, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, sparking global outrage against the kingdom and its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Riyadh had offered numerous contradictory explanations for his disappearance, before saying Khashoggi was killed after "negotiations" to convince him to return to the kingdom failed. On Thursday, the public prosecutor's office said he was killed after a struggle by a lethal injection and his body dismembered and taken out of the building."I don't find some comments satisfying. They say this person was killed because he resisted, whereas this murder was premeditated," Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said."Where is the body of the murdered Khashoggi? Where was it thrown, where was it burned?" he added.Khashoggi’s body dismembered inside Istanbul consulate: Saudi prosecutor"Again, they say he was dismembered... but this isn't a spontaneous thing. The necessary equipment and people were previously brought in to kill and later dismember him."President Tayyip Erdoğan has said the killing was ordered at the "highest levels" of the Saudi government.Çavuşoğlu also reiterated Turkey's call for Riyadh to disclose the location of Khashoggi's remains."Where is the body of the murdered Khashoggi? Where was it thrown, where was it burned?" Çavuşoğlu said. He did not say whether Turkey had evidence that pointed to the body having been burned. Turkey has previously called for an investigation into reports the body was dissolved in acid.Çavuşoğlu also repeated Erdoğan's call that the suspects in the case should be tried in Turkey, not Saudi Arabia.Israel’s Gaza war part of bin Salman plot to distract world from Khashoggi killingPrince Salman’s right hand men the royal family fears

Khashoggi’s body dismembered inside Istanbul consulate: Saudi prosecutor

The body of slain Saudi Journalist was dismembered inside his country’s Istanbul Consulate General, according to Riyadh’s top prosecutor.In a statement made on Thursday, the prosecutor said he’s seeking the death penalty for five suspects in the Khashoggi murder case.The prosecutor told reporters in Riyadh that investigations were still ongoing to locate the remains of the body.The prosecutor’s office also said it was awaiting Turkey's response to its request for evidence and sound recordings of the crime.The prosecutor also said it was awaiting Turkey's response to its request for evidence and sound recordings of the crime.World wondering who ordered Khashoggi killing, says AK Party spoxWhereabouts of Khashoggi still unknownSaudi Arabia's public prosecutor said on Thursday the person who had ordered the killing of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi was the head of the negotiating team sent to repatriate him and that the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body remained unknown.The prosecutor told reporters in Riyadh that investigations were still ongoing to locate the remains of the body.Ex-adviser Qahtani under investigationHe added that a former adviser to the royal court, Saud al-Qahtani, had been due to meet the team that was ordered to repatriate Khashoggi, who was killed after efforts to negotiate his return failed.Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said Qahtani had been banned from travelling and remained under investigation, adding that the case has been transferred to court while investigations continue.Israel’s Gaza war part of bin Salman plot to distract world from Khashoggi killingSaudi Arabia charges 11 in relation to Khashoggi murderSaudi Arabia’s chief prosecutor’s office on Thursday announced it had charged 11 out of 21 suspects in relation to the murder early last month of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.At a press conference held in capital Riyadh, the chief prosecutor announced his intention to call for the death penalty against anyone found guilty of ordering and carrying out the journalist’s murder.The prosecutor’s office also said it was awaiting Turkey's response to its request for evidence and sound recordings of the crime.Prince Salman’s right hand men the royal family fearsKhashoggi, a frequent contributor to The Washington Post, was killed on Oct. 2 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.After weeks of denying involvement, the kingdom admitted Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate but claimed the Saudi royal family had no prior knowledge of any plot to murder the journalist.

Prince Salman’s right hand men the royal family fears

Two men with little to no qualifications, Saud el-Qahtani (40), and Turki al-Sheikh (37), are the loyal puppets of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), according to an article published by the New York Times.Qahtani, who is the aide of the crown prince, and Sheikh, the Kingdom’s sports commissioner, are the “closest people to the crown prince,” and played significant roles in carrying out their master’s bidding in his shocking power plays.“The ouster of the previous crown prince, the detentions of royals and businessmen in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton, the kidnapping of the Lebanese prime minister, and the kingdom’s diplomatic spats with Qatar and Canada,” were all headed by these two men, the article titled “Behind a Saudi Prince’s Rise, Two Loyal Enforcers,” states.“Even Saudi royals have come to fear the prince’s two friends.” White House covering for bin Salman: Ex-CIA officerThe Khashoggi murderNow, the heads of these two men may be on the chopping block to save the prince’s name, which has been dragged through the mud during the past month over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Turkey’s Istanbul on Oct. 2.Khashoggi had previously told Newsweek that MBS “does not have political advisers except Turki al-Sheikh and Saud al-Qahtani.”“They are very thuggish. People fear them. You challenge them, you might end up in prison,” said Khashoggi, who was a critic of Prince Salman.Both these “loyal enforcers” were educated inside the Kingdom with meager experience abroad.World wondering who ordered Khashoggi killing, says AK Party spoxQahtani has already been sacked due to the rhetoric toward the kingdom’s critics that led to Khashoggi’s death, said a Saudi official, while Sheikh is laying low. Saudi Arabia, after weeks of denying the journalist’s murder, said that he had died in a botched up interrogation. It later changed its story after evidence came to light showing that the murder was premeditated. It also said it had arrested 18 people—15 of whom are Saudi agents who were at the consulate on the same day as Khashoggi--, who are involved in the killing.Neither is among the 18 people Saudi Arabia said it arrested regarding the probe investigating Khashoggi’s murder.US lawmakers expect votes on steps to crack down on Saudi ArabiaTurkey has shared recordings related to the killing of Khashoggi, which Turkey has shared with its Western allies.Last month two separate intelligence sources said that Qahtani gave orders over Skype to Khashoggi's killers at the consulate. More recently, a government source familiar with the matter said Qahtani featured prominently throughout the recordings.Khashoggi's murder has provoked global outrage but little concrete action by major powers against Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and a strong proponent of U.S. policy to contain Iranian influence across the Middle East.Trump to nominate retired Army general as US ambassador to Saudi ArabiaErdoğan says Khashoggi recordings 'appalling', shocked Saudi intelligenceTell your boss: Saudi kill team recordings connect Prince Salman to Khashoggi murder

World wondering who ordered Khashoggi killing, says AK Party spox

The world is wondering who “at the top” had ordered the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party deputy leader and spokesman Ömer Çelik on Wednesday.“This could not have been done without an order from the top. The world wants to know: Who gave the order from the top?” Çelik said. During a televised speech, Çelik said Turkey firmly condemns French FM Jean-Yves le Drian's remarks that were critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s handling of Jamal Khashoggi case.Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate by a team sent from Riyadh. Saudi authorities have acknowledged that the killing was premeditated, but his body has not been found.US lawmakers expect votes on steps to crack down on Saudi ArabiaReferring to a remark made by French President about the need for a European army, Çelik said the debate over the proposal clearly shows cracks in transatlantic alliance.“Security of Balkans, Europe would not possible without Turkey, no matter with a NATO or a European army,” said Çelik.Discussing the threat from cyber-hacking and outside meddling in the electoral process, Macron said Europe needed to protect itself against China, Russia "and even the United States".Later in the interview he spoke about the need for a European army, saying:"Faced by Russia, which is on our borders and which has shown that it can be threatening... we need to have a Europe that can better defend itself by itself, without depending solely on the United States."‘Turkey can play bigger role in new global order’

Erdoğan says Khashoggi recordings 'appalling', shocked Saudi intelligence

President Tayyip Erdoğan said recordings related to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, which Turkey has shared with Western allies, are "appalling" and shocked a Saudi intelligence officer who listened to them, Turkish media reported on Tuesday.Khashoggi, a critic of de facto Saudi ruler Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed in Saudi Arabia's Istanbul consulate last month in a hit which Erdoğan says was ordered at the "highest levels" of the Saudi government.Erdoğan told reporters on his plane returning from a weekend visit to France that he discussed the Saudi journalist's killing with the U.S., French and German leaders at dinner in Paris."We played the recordings regarding this murder to everyone who wanted them from us. Our intelligence organisation did not hide anything. We played them to all who wanted them including the Saudis, the USA, France, Canada, Germany, Britain," he said.UK presses Saudi Arabia for Khashoggi murderers"The recordings are really appalling. Indeed when the Saudi intelligence officer listened to the recordings he was so shocked he said: 'This one must have taken heroin, only someone who takes who heroin would do this," he added.Khashoggi's killing has provoked global outrage but little concrete action by world powers against Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and a supporter of Washington's plans to contain Iranian influence across the Middle East.Erdoğan said it was clear the murder was planned and that the order came from the top level of Saudi authorities but that he could not think such a thing of King Salman, for whom he has 'limitless respect'."The crown prince says 'I will clarify the matter, I will do what is necessary'. We are waiting patiently," Erdoğan said, adding that the perpetrators of the killing were among 18 suspects detained in Saudi Arabia."It must be revealed who gave them the order to murder."Khashoggi murder recording may implicate Saudi princeErdoğan has not given details of the contents of the tapes but two sources with knowledge of the issue have told Reuters that Turkey has several audio recordings.They include the killing itself and conversations before the operation which Turkey subsequently uncovered, the sources said. These had led Ankara to conclude from an early stage that the killing was premeditated, despite Saudi Arabia's initial denials of any knowledge or involvement.Saudi Arabia's prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb has since said Khashoggi's killing was planned in advance, although another Saudi official said Prince Mohammed had no knowledge of the specific operation.Pressing to resolve the Halkbank issue Regarding his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, Erdoğan said they discussed the Halkbank issue and agreed to resume talks to resolve it. “Mr. Trump instructed the respective minister, the Treasury Secretary, to contact our Minister of Finance and Treasury Mr. Berat within 24 hours. They discussed what can be done with regards to this topic.”A U.S. court in May jailed a Halkbank executive for helping Tehran get round U.S. sanctions. Halkbank denies any wrongdoing and Erdoğan has condemned the court case as a political attack on his government.Erdoğan said he brought up the issue of Halkbank again, which prompted the same response from Trump, who said he personally gave orders to the Secretary of Treasury to deal with the issue. “I will give instructions the moment I get back. I thought it was resolved. Why is it taking so long?” Trump said, according to Erdoğan.Different developments east of the EuphratesAddressing questions on Syria, Erdoğan praised Turkey’s efforts in Idlib which helped avert disaster in the heavily-populated opposition stronghold.“We attached great importance to the Idlib issue. Our successes there are appreciated.” Ankara and Moscow signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the “stabilization” of Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.Under the deal, opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas in which they are already present, while Russia and Turkey will conduct joint patrols in the area with a view to preventing renewed fighting.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity. “It seems to me that there’s a lack of communication with regards to issues relating to the YPG. I said ‘there are many things we can do together in this regard.’ You see, we’re unable to resolve the east of the Euphrates issue and there are different developments there.” Erdoğan has repeatedly vowed to eradicate the east of the Euphrates River in Syria from terrorists of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s Syrian affiliate, the YPG.

Tell your boss: Saudi kill team recordings connect Prince Salman to Khashoggi murder

A telephone call between an alleged killer of Jamal Khashoggi and his superior may implicate Saudi crown prince in the murder of the the journalist, the New York Times reported Monday."A member of the kill team instructed a superior over the phone to 'tell your boss,' believed to be Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, that the operatives had carried out their mission," said the newspaper.It quoted three people familiar with a recording of Khashoggi’s murder collected by Turkish intelligence, which "is seen by intelligence officials as some of the strongest evidence" linking bin Salman to Khashoggi’s killing."While the prince was not mentioned by name, American intelligence officials believe 'your boss' was a reference to Prince Mohammed," it said.Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, one of 15 Saudis in the hit squad sent to Istanbul to confront Khashoggi, made the telephone call and spoke in Arabic, according to the report.The newspaper said Turkish intelligence told American officials it believes Mutreb was speaking to one of the prince’s aides.Germany receives recordings on Khashoggi from TurkeyTrudeau: Canada has heard Turkish recordings on Khashoggi's killing"While translations of the Arabic may differ, those briefed on the call said Mr. Mutreb also said to the aide words to the effect of 'the deed was done'," said the Times.The report also quoted Turkish officials as saying the audio does not "conclusively implicate Prince Mohammed.""American intelligence and other government officials have cautioned that however compelling the recording may be, it is still not irrefutable evidence of his involvement in the death of Mr. Khashoggi," it said.Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, was killed Oct. 2 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.After weeks of denying involvement, the kingdom admitted Khashoggi had been killed at the consulate but claimed the Saudi royal family had no prior knowledge of a plot to murder him.So far, 18 people, including security officers, have been arrested in Saudi Arabia in connection with the murder.