Jamal Khashoggi: Turkey asks to search the consulate of Saudi Arabia


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"He himself went to the Consulate General and he went there alone and he did not leave, that should of course be proven by the Consulate General," Erdogan said. at a press conference in Budapest.

Erdogan said the Saudi Arabian consulate should have CCTV cameras and be able to show Khashoggi's video leaving the building. He indicated that there was no document or evidence showing the journalist's departure.

The Ministry of Justice and the Chief Prosecutor in Istanbul "have opened an investigation and efforts are continuing," said Erdogan. Airport entrances and exits are being investigated.

"At the moment, some people have arrived from Saudi Arabia and our chief investigator is investigating everything that's going on in this case."

Turkey has requested permission to search the consulate in Istanbul following the disappearance of Khashoggi, said state broadcaster TRT. This decision comes as Turkey has also summoned Saudi Ambassador Sedat Onal for the second time in recent days on Sunday, asking the diplomat to "cooperate fully" in the investigation.

These are the latest developments in Turkey's investigation into the disappearance of Khashoggi, Washington Post writer and insider turned critic of the Saudi royal court. Turkish officials told several news organizations that he had been murdered inside the consulate.

Saudi Arabia has firmly denied any involvement in the disappearance of Khashoggi.

Khashoggi, who left Saudi Arabia in 2017, entered the building on Tuesday to obtain the necessary documents for his next wedding while his Turkish bride was waiting outside. But she says she has never seen it come back.

A Saudi official said Khashoggi had left the consulate shortly after his visit. The Saudis, however, did not broadcast surveillance video or other evidence.

Activist Tawakkol Karman holds a photo of the missing journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, at a protest outside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on Friday.
The incident highlighted the repression perceived by the young Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, against the dissidents, the delicate relations between his kingdom and Turkey, as well as the influence of Khashoggi in the royal court.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday described Khashoggi as a "friend" he had known for some time and vowed to "continue" the investigation into his disappearance.

The Turkish police also examine all the entry and exit registers of the consulate, from the moment Khashoggi entered the building until his fiancee lost contact with him.

Turkish authorities: Khashoggi was killed at the consulate

Four days after Khashoggi's disappearance, anonymous Turkish officials informed the Washington Post and Reuters that the journalist had been killed inside the consulate. The officials have so far not provided any evidence or detail of how they arrived at this conclusion.

Yasin Aktay, Erdogan's political adviser, told CNN Sunday that he was also convinced that it was quite possible that Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate.

"I personally think that the possibility that he will be killed is stronger than other possibilities, although I do not want to accept it. Because he was alive, the Saudis would provide evidence that he is alive, "Aktay told CNN during a phone interview in Istanbul. .

"If he's not at the consulate and he's not gone by the usual ways, he may have gone out sedated or in pieces."

Aktay, who is also an advisor to the ruling AKP party, told CNN that the Turkish government "ignored no evidence" and that the Saudis did not "share any convincing explanation of what had happened. inside the building ".

Fifteen Saudi nationals – including several officials – arrived in Istanbul in two planes and went to the Saudi consulate on the day of Khashoggi's disappearance, Anadolu news agency reported on Saturday, citing police sources. The 15 Saudis have all left Turkey since, he added.

As requests for answers increased, Saudi authorities invited reporters to visit the six-story building on Saturday to prove that Khashoggi was not inside. Reuters said that a consular officer showed them all the pieces, even by opening cabinets and filing cabinets. No sign of him was found.

On Sunday, Khashoggi's family in Saudi Arabia seemed to distance himself from media reports, said in a statement to Saudi television channel Al Arabiya: "We trust the government, its actions and all its actions. efforts." in the case of Jamal Khashoggi. "

Who is Jamal Khashoggi?

Khashoggi, known in part for his talks with the terrorist brain Osama bin Laden, was an insider of the Saudi royal court before leaving Saudi Arabia in 2017 for Washington. He began publishing critical articles in the Washington Post that criticized bin Salman's policy, including his consolidation of power. He was named writer contributor to the Post in January.

Khashoggi is a resident of Virginia, according to its member, the representative Gerry Connolly. He had applied to be a permanent resident in the United States, but his exact residency status is not yet known.

The United States is under increasing pressure to weigh on the disappearance, which could have serious consequences for the precarious relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, already opposed to Qatar by the blockade imposed by the blockade .

Two senior US administration officials told CNN Sunday that although Washington does not make any public comment and has no information confirming Turkish claims, the administration is working quietly with several agencies, seeking Answers about Khashoggi's whereabouts and talks with senior Saudi officials.

Gul Tuysuz reported from Istanbul, Sheena McKenzie wrote in London. Hande Atay-Alam, Jomana Karadsheh, Isil Sariyuce, Schams Elwazer, Tim Lister and Samantha Beech contributed to this report.

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