Turkish, Saudi officials at consulate over Khashoggi
Turkish and Saudi teams investigating the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi two weeks ago left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early on Tuesday after a nine-hour search of the building, Reuters witnesses said.
While the search was being carried out, CNN and the New York Times reported that Saudi Arabia was preparing to acknowledge Khashoggi's death in a botched interrogation and U.S. President Donald Trump speculated "rogue killers" may be responsible. The consulate was the last place Khashoggi was seen before he vanished on Oct. 2.
Trump dispatched Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet King Salman over the case that has strained the Americans' relationship with the Saudis, carefully cultivated by the U.S. president.
Saudi Arabia is preparing to admit it killed missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in an interrogation gone wrong, according to a report Monday.The forthcoming admission could bring to an end questions over Khashoggi's fate. The Washington Post journalist has been missing since Oct. 2 when he was last seen entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.The Saudis will claim in a report they intended to abduct Khashoggi from Turkey, but accidentally killed him during an interrogation, CNN reported, citing two anonymous sources.The network cited one source who cautioned the report is still being prepared and could be changed. Another source told CNN the report is likely to shift blame from top Saudi officials, arguing the plot was carried out without official clearance and transparency while seeking to place blame on those immediately involved.Khashoggi has long been feared killed at the consulate after he entered and was never seen exiting.U.S. President Donald Trump raised the possibility that "rogue killers" could have been responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance after speaking over the telephone with Saudi King Salman for 20 minutes earlier Monday.Trump said Salman "firmly denies" any knowledge of Khashoggi's disappearance"He didn’t really know, maybe, I don’t want to get into his mind but it sounded to me like maybe it could have been rogue killers, who knows? We’re going to try get to the bottom of it very soon but his was a flat denial," Trump told reporters.Turkish and Saudi officials arrived earlier Monday at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for a joint probe into Khashoggi's case.On the same day Khashoggi went missing 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was inside, Turkish police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.A National Security Council spokeswoman told Anadolu Agency it is imperative Turkish authorities with Saudi Arabia's full and transparent support are able to thoroughly investigate the case and release results officially once the probe is concluded.The spokeswoman further voiced support for Turkish investigators' efforts, and said she would not prejudge the inquiry's outcome while noting Washington stands ready to assist.Turkish police have audio showing Khashoggi was killed at consulateTrump: Pompeo to meet with Saudi king amid Khashoggi probesEU Foreign Affairs Council to address Khashoggi caseTurkey, Saudi Arabia set to start Khashoggi probeTurkish experts try to crack passwords of Khashoggi’s iPhones
Saudi Arabia to admit Khashoggi was killed: report
A Turkish crime scene investigation team of around 10 people left the consulate before 5 am (0200 GMT) after completing a search early on Tuesday, one witness said. A Turkish prosecutor left around 1-1/2 hours later, followed shortly after by a Saudi team that departed in three vehicles, another witness said.
Four forensic vehicles arrived outside the consulate and took away soil samples as well as a metal door from the garden, the Reuters witness said. A police dog was part of the search team.
A Turkish diplomatic source had earlier said that a joint Turkish-Saudi team would search the consulate.
Turkish authorities have an audio recording which indicates that missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a Turkish official and a security source said on Monday."Turkish police have an audio recording that indicates that Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate", the security source told Reuters. He gave no further details.Saudi Arabia has strongly denied killing Khashoggi, a critic of the kingdom's policies. Its interior minister has described the assertion as "lies". Saudi officials have said he left the consulate shortly after entering it.Video: Turkey, S.Arabia set to start Khashoggi probeThe Turkish official said evidence showing that Khashoggi had been killed was being shared with countries including Saudi Arabia and the United States.Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and U.S. resident, has not been seen since entering the consulate on Oct. 2 to obtain documents for his forthcoming marriage. His fiancée said he never left the building."Evidence has been conveyed to all sides very clearly," the security source said. "Now we are at the stage of collecting concrete evidence at the consulate."
Turkish police have audio showing Khashoggi was killed at consulate
Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, Washington Post columnist and leading critic of the powerful Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, vanished after entering the consulate in Istanbul to get marriage documents. Turkish officials say they believe he was murdered there and his body removed.
Citing two unidentified sources, CNN reported on Monday that Saudi Arabia was preparing a report that would acknowledge Khashoggi was killed as the result of an interrogation that went wrong. The Saudi government could not be reached immediately for comment on the CNN report.
The New York Times, citing a person familiar with the Saudi plans, reported the crown prince had approved an interrogation or rendition of Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government, it said, would shield the prince by blaming an intelligence official for the bungled operation.
The European Union Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the case of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the monthly meeting, the EU foreign policy chief said on Monday.Federica Mogherini would raise the issue at the council meeting, she told reporters in Luxembourg ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting."I will mention, obviously, the latest events on which I already had the opportunity to comment one week ago, from Lisbon," Mogherini said."The European Union expects full investigations from the authorities of Saudi Arabia, full cooperation with the Turkish authorities in line with what also our main partners and allies have expressed, mainly in Washington but also elsewhere," she added."We expect and we hope that there will be transparency and full clarity on what happened."Moroccan press calls for probe into Khashoggi caseTrump says US would be 'punishing itself' if it halts Saudi arms salesThe 28-member bloc's foreign ministers arrived in Luxembourg for the monthly Foreign Affairs Council meeting. The EU Ministers are expected to address foreign policy, security, trade matters along with latest developments in the region.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, has gone missing since he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.On that same day 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the building while Khashoggi was also inside, Turkish police sources said.All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K -- are pressing for the case to be cleared up as soon as possible.Trump: Khashoggi disappearance no reason to stop Saudi investmentsMedia companies, journalists drop out of Saudi event after Khashoggi disappearance
EU Foreign Affairs Council to address Khashoggi case
The case has provoked an international outcry against Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, with more media and business executives pulling out of a planned investment conference there this month.
Members of his family called for an investigation, in a statement released on Monday.
"We are sadly and anxiously following the conflicting news regarding the fate of our father after losing contact with him two weeks ago," they said.
"The strong moral and legal responsibility which our father instilled in us obliges us to call for the establishment of an independent and impartial international commission to inquire into the circumstances of his death."
Turkish and Saudi teams investigating the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi two weeks ago left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul early on Tuesday after a nine-hour search of the building.
Turkish, Saudi teams search Saudi consulate building for nine hours
Two iPhones belonging to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi are being looked into by Istanbul police. Khashoggi had handed the phones over to his fiancée Hatice Cengiz prior to entering the Saudi consulate on Oct. 2.Both phones are in the hands of the Department of Anti-Cyber Crime Investigation, but no information has yet been obtained because the passwords have not been able to be cracked.Security forces are continuing their efforts to access Khashoggi’s iCloud account, which is synced with his iPhones.Spain calls for urgent investigation into disappearance of Saudi journalistReports emerged on Saturday that Turkey's investigation into Khashoggi's fate after he entered the Saudi consulate revealed recordings made on his Apple Watch purportedly indicating he was tortured and killed.However, it was not clear whether data from Khashoggi's watch could have been transmitted to his phone outside, or how investigators could have retrieved it without obtaining the watch themselves.Apple Inc. declined to comment on these claims.Saudi currency at weakest in two years on Khashoggi caseTechnology experts say it is highly unlikely the watch could have recorded actions inside the embassy and uploaded them to an iCloud account. Most models of the watch require that it be within 30 to 50 feet (9-15 meters) of the iPhone it is paired with to upload data to Apple's iCloud, they said.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, has gone missing since he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.On that same day 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the building while Khashoggi was also inside, Turkish police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K -- are pressing for the case to be cleared up as soon as possible.Saudi King orders public prosecutor to open internal probe into Khashoggi caseTurkey to search Saudi consulate in Istanbul for missing journalist on Monday
Turkish experts try to crack passwords of Khashoggi’s iPhones