Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
The Saudi Consulate in Istanbul should prove whether or not missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi exited the building after entering last Tuesday, Turkey's president said on Monday.
"It is our humanitarian and political duty to closely follow the issue," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in Budapest during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban.
"There are some people that came from Saudi Arabia [that day]. The public prosecutor's office is looking into the issue," he said, adding that footage from airports is being studied.
Addressing the Saudi version of events, Erdoğan said: "The Saudi Consulate officials in Istanbul can't get away with [simply] saying 'he left the building.’ The claimants are obligated to prove their claims. If he left the building, then you need to prove it."
Saudi Arabia will pay a "heavy price" if allegations that the kingdom killed a prominent journalist prove true, said a senior Republican senator on Monday.Jamal Khashoggi, journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.On his Twitter account, Lindsey Graham said Riyadh must provide "honest answers," adding that his position is shared by fellow Senators Bob Corker, a Republican, and Ben Cardin, a Democrat."We agree if there was any truth to the allegations of wrongdoing by the Saudi government it would be devastating to the US-Saudi relationship and there will be a heavy price to be paid — economically and otherwise," Graham tweeted.UK: Allegations on Khashoggi's disappearance 'serious'On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged the Saudi Consulate to prove whether or not Khashoggi exited the building after entering, saying the consulate officials "can't get away with [simply] saying 'he left the building'."Turkish police investigating the case said in a statement Saturday that 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and entered the consulate while Khashoggi was inside."Our country’s values should be and must be a cornerstone of our foreign policy with foes and allies alike," said Graham. Turkey's CHP demands explanation on Saudi journalistAnkara expects Riyadh’s cooperation during probe into missing Saudi journalist
Saudis to pay price if journalist killed: US senator
Khashoggi, journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
Turkish police investigating the case said Saturday that 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and entered the consulate while Khashoggi was inside.
Istanbul prosecutors are investigating the incident, while the consulate said on Twitter that it was working in coordination with Turkish authorities.
Turkey on Monday said it expects "full cooperation" from Saudi authorities in finding the missing journalist.
EU membership process
On Turkey’s EU membership process, Erdoğan called for sincerity, stating that it needs to be clear whether or not the EU will accept Turkey.
"Turkey has been stalled since 1963. No EU member state was treated in such a way," he added.
In 1963 the Ankara Agreement between Turkey and the European Economic Community -- a predecessor to the EU -- established an association between Turkey and the bloc.
Turkey applied for membership in the EEC in 1987, and it became eligible for EU membership in 1997. Accession talks began in 2005.
But talks stalled in 2007 due to objections from the Greek Cypriot administration on the divided island of Cyprus, as well as opposition from Germany and France.
On the refugee situation in Turkey, Erdoğan said that there are currently nearly 3.5 million Syrians in Turkey, while some 250,000 have returned to Jarabulus, Afrin, and Al-Bab -- areas liberated from terrorists in a Turkish-led operation -- and more than 60,000 to Idlib.
The relations between Turkey and Hungary have recently accelerated in every field by increasing mutual high-level visits and consultations.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is paying an official visit to Hungary on Monday and Tuesday upon the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart Janos Ader.According to the Turkish presidency, Erdoğan will also meet with Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.The officials will discuss bilateral relations, Turkey-EU relations, irregular migration and the fight against terrorism. They will also exchange views on regional and international issues.Turkish ambassador hails 'exemplary' ties with Hungary"The visit will be the sign of the common will at the highest level, aimed at boosting our cooperation with Hungary in every field as part of our strategic partnership," the presidency said in a statement.Erdoğan is also expected to officially inaugurate the Tomb of Gul Baba in Budapest, attend a business forum with Orban, and pay a visit to the Budapest Turkish Memorial Cemetery.Ankara and Budapest enjoy friendly relations based on historical and cultural ties, NATO alliance, close cooperation within international organizations, especially the EU and the Council of Europe, and Hungary’s support to Turkey’s EU membership.High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) between the two countries was agreed upon during the then-prime minister Erdoğan's visit to Hungary in 2013.The first HLSCC meeting was held during Orban's visit to Turkey in 2013. A second meeting followed in 2015 in Budapest and the third one in Ankara in 2017 under the chairmanship of the then Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Orban. The fourth meeting will be held in Budapest in 2019.According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry's website, Hungary follows an economy/trade-focused foreign policy and considers Turkey as one of the key countries in its “Opening to the East” policy.The bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached $2.5 billion in 2017.Around 80,000 Hungarian tourists visited Turkey in 2017. There are approximately 2,500 Turkish citizens residing in Hungary, according to the ministry.
Turkey, Hungary ties gather momentum
Hungary's security 'directly related to Turkey'
For his part, Orban said that Hungary’s security is “directly related to Turkey.”
“A stable government leading in Turkey is also a guarantor of Hungary’s security,” he said.
Stating that Turkey, like Hungary, lies along migration routes, Orban said that it is important for Hungary that Turkey is stable to establish peace in the region and deter irregular migration.
Stressing the importance of the 2016 EU-Turkey migrant deal for the security of the European continent, Orban said that Hungary must also show its alliance with Turkey.
In March 2016, EU and Turkey reached an agreement to stop irregular migration through the Aegean Sea and improve the conditions of more than 3 million Syrians in Turkey.
The EU pledged €6 billion ($7.44 billion) in funding for the refugees, including a €3 billion ($3.72 billion) tranche by the end of 2018. Turkey hosts some 3.5 million Syrians, more than any other country in the world.
While spending around $25 billion helping and sheltering refugees since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Ankara has complained of the EU dragging its feet in providing the funds it promised.
“We have to congratulate Turkey for opening its doors to millions of refugees,” said Orban.