Turkish officials believe missing journalist killed in Saudi consulate
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 7 October 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkish officials believe missing journalist killed in Saudi consulate, 7 October 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5c34a6b0c.html [accessed 31 October 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
2018-10-07
A protester holds a picture of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a demonstration in front of the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul on October 5.
Turkey's president says he is awaiting a final report by prosecutors investigating the death of a Saudi journalist who died under mysterious circumstances in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks on October 7 came after unnamed Turkish sources told Reuters and The New York Times that Jamal Khashoggi was killed at the Istanbul diplomatic mission.
Erdogan said that the authorities were looking into all camera records and monitoring incoming and outgoing airport transits as part of the investigation.
Earlier, an Erdogan aide, Yasin Aktay, told Reuters that Turkish authorities believed a group of 15 Saudi nationals were "most certainly involved" in the case.
Another unidentified official was quoted as saying that Khashoggi was likely killed by a Saudi team sent "specifically for the murder."
A former newspaper editor, Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia last year saying he feared retribution for his growing criticism of Saudi policy in the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent.
He entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, reportedly trying to obtain a document that he needed to get married. His fiancee, who accompanied him to the building but remained outside, told reporters that he never emerged.
An official at the consulate described the allegations as "baseless," adding that a security delegation of Saudi investigators was in Istanbul to probe Khashoggi's disappearance.
An unnamed official at the consulate described the allegations as "baseless," and Saudi Prince Muhammad bin Salman was quoted as saying: "We have nothing to hide."
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador to ask for an explanation about Khashoggi's disappearance, which comes amid already strained relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Ankara has taken the side of Qatar over its blockade by Saudi Arabia and other neighbors, and Turkey's rapprochement with Iran has riled the Riyadh government.
Based on reporting by Reuters, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, AP, and the BBC
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
