Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, Dominic Raab
Saudi Arabia's explanation of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its consulate in Istanbul is not credible, Britain's Brexit minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday.
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.
Asked during an interview on BBC TV if he believed the explanation, Raab said: "No, I don’t think it is credible ... We support the Turkish investigation into it and the British government will want to see people held to account for that death."
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul regarded Turkey as a key country for a new Middle East, his friends told AP in an interview.Sarah El Deeb, an AP journalist based in Lebanon, talked to some of his friends."Friends say Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was a proud Arab who wanted to set up a base in his ancestral homeland of Turkey, contributing to the growing community of exiled Arabs who have taken refuge there," she said in the article."For Khashoggi, a history lover, the growing Arabic community and Turkey’s power in the region echoed aspects of the Ottoman empire, when Istanbul was at the center of a rich and multicultural Middle East."Kashoggi was planning to marry his Turkish fiancee on Oct. 3, had bought a home in Istanbul and was planning to split his time between Istanbul and the U.S. state of Virginia, the article says.We want justice for Jamal Khashoggi, says head of Turkish-Arab Media AssociationAmnesty urges UN investigation, independent autopsy in Khashoggi deathBahrain praises Saudi king's decisions: Al Arabiya TVEiad Alhaji, a Syrian filmmaker and friend of Khashoggi, said: "We used to go together to sit and talk, two strangers outside our country and society, about what is happening with the Arabs in Turkey and in America. Me as a Syrian, and him as a Saudi Arabian." Another friend Fatih Oke stated that he and Khashoggi had plans to do some projects.The article said that in his last interviews Khashoggi declared his support for Turkey’s Syria policy but criticized Saudi government's stance on it.Azzam Tamimi, a British-Palestinian, said that Khashoggi had found a warm place in Istanbul."Khashoggi found a welcoming place in Istanbul. In Istanbul you don’t feel like a stranger, the people, the food, the habits,” Tamimi said.Investigators likely to discover what happened to Khashoggi body 'before long'Turkey vows to reveal details of Khashoggi's killingEgypt commends 'decisive' and 'brave' actions by Saudi King over Khashoggi case"Also, Turkey’s current political authority has been the closest to Arabs since the fall of the Ottoman Empire a hundred years ago. Erdogan and his party opened up to the Arabs," Tamimi added.Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, had gone missing since entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After days of denying to know his whereabouts, Saudi Arabia on Saturday claimed Khashoggi died during a fight inside the consulate.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.A joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case on Thursday after searching the residence of the consul general as well as the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.UNESCO chief condemns killing of KhashoggiUS congressman says Jared Kushner may have organized Khashoggi murderYemen praises Saudi decisions on journalist's death
Khashoggi saw Turkey as key country in new Middle East
Britain is open-minded about extending the post-Brexit transition period if it means the European Union drops its proposals for the so-called Irish backstop, Brexit minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday."If we need a bridge from the end of the implementation period to the future relationship ... I am open minded about using a short extension of the implementation period," Raab told BBC TV.Video: UK Brexit minister Raab says open-minded on extending post-Brexit transition"It is an obvious possible route as long as it is short, perhaps a few months, and secondly that we know how we get out of it and obviously it has to solve the backstop issue so that that falls away then as a possibility."Raab also said he thought a deal needed to be done by the end of November in order to get the legislation through the UK parliament in time.Thousands take to streets in London demanding second Brexit voteIreland insists on Brexit 'backstop'EU's Barnier says Brexit deal 90 pct done, but Ireland issue could derail it
UK Brexit minister Raab says open-minded on extending post-Brexit transition