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(ISTANBUL) – Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has called on Jamal Khashoggi's son, the kingdom announced Monday, to express his condolences over the death of the journalist killed at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul by suspected perpetrators, especially a member of the entourage of the king.
Similarly, King Salman sent a message of condolence as international pressure on the kingdom continues to grow, even after recognizing Saturday that the Washington Post reporter was killed at the consulate on Oct. 2, in still-controversial circumstances.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the details of Khashoggi's assassination "will be revealed naked", in a speech delivered in Parliament on Tuesday, the same day, a lavish investment forum organized in Riyadh by Prince Mohammed.
Saudi Arabia's explanation that Khashoggi was killed in a "fist fight" and 18 Saudis were arrested sparked international skepticism and camouflage allegations aimed at clearing Prince Mohammed of any responsibility. direct. According to Turkish media and officials, a 15-member Saudi team reportedly went to Istanbul, allegedly guided Khashoggi to the consulate, cut off his fingers, killed and dismembered the 59-year-old writer.
"Why did these 15 people come here? Why were 18 people arrested? All of this needs to be explained in all its details, "said Erdogan.
The state-run Saudi news agency announced the calls to Khashoggi's son, Salah, early Monday morning. According to statements by the agency, King Salman and Prince Mohammed expressed their condolences for the death of his father.
A Saudi friend of Khashoggi, who was in contact with him before his death, told The Associated Press that Khashoggi's son, Salah, was banned from traveling and that He had been forbidden to leave the kingdom since last year as a result of his father's criticism of the government. . The friend spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussion. Saudi statements have not acknowledged the ban.
The call comes after the leak of a photo apparently taken from surveillance videos showing Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a member of Prince Mohammed's entourage making trips to the United States, France and Spain this year, at Consulate, just before Khashoggi's arrival. Mutreb's name also corresponds to that of a first secretary who has already been a diplomat at the Saudi Embassy in London, according to a 2007 list prepared by the British Foreign Office.
Saudi Arabia has so far not recognized or explained the presence of Mutreb in Istanbul – nor that of an expert in forensic science and autopsy, also on the spot for the arrival of Khashoggi at the consulate.
Istanbul's chief prosecutor on Monday summoned 28 other members of the Saudi consulate, including Turkish citizens and foreign nationals, said Monday the Turkish state broadcaster TRT. Prosecutors have already interviewed the staff of the consulate; some Turkish employees reportedly said that they had been told not to go to work at the time of Khashoggi's disappearance.
Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday that Khashoggi's fiancée Hatice Cengiz had received police protection 24 hours a day.
Also on Sunday, footage obtained by TRT World, a Turkish news channel broadcasting in English, showed Khashoggi as he was standing in front of a police fence before entering the consulate on October 2. be searched before continuing to the building.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Fox News that the killing of Khashoggi was "a sneaky operation" and that "we do not know where the body is."
"The people who did this did so outside of their authority," he said. "Obviously, a huge mistake has been made and what has made it worse is the attempt to conceal. This is unacceptable for the government. "
However, a Republican in the US Senate said Saudi Arabia's explanation, which followed the kingdom's first denials that it knew nothing about Khashoggi's fate, was not credible.
Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said Saturday in CNN's "State of the Union" that he was convinced that Prince Mohammed, the heir of the largest oil exporter in the world, was behind this assassination.
The Crown Prince has "now crossed a line and there must be a punishment and a price paid for it," Corker said. He also urged Turkey to return the so-called sound recordings of Khashoggi's assassination to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The existence of such evidence has been reported in the Turkish media in a series of leaks, although Turkish officials have not yet confirmed that they had recordings.
"The Turks talked more to the media than us," Corker said of NATO's ally.
The California representative, Adam Schiff, the largest Democrat on the House's intelligence committee, said in the ABC TV show "This Week" that murder should be an event that " would change the relations "of the United States and Saudi Arabia sanctions or other movements against it.
"We must suspend military sales, we must suspend some security assistance operations and impose sanctions on all those directly involved in this murder," Schiff said.
President Donald Trump had also spoken of possible sanctions, but had declared that he did not want to suspend a proposed arms sale to Saudi Arabia for $ 110 billion, as this would hurt to American manufacturers. He first said that he believed in the Saudi account. Speaking late Saturday after a campaign rally in Nevada, Trump said he needed to learn more about the murder and would work with Congress on the US response. He also said that he would soon talk to Prince Mohammed.
Britain, Germany and France issued a joint statement condemning the assassination of Khashoggi, stressing that there was an "urgent need to clarify exactly what had happened ".
In a statement released on Sunday, governments said attacks on journalists were unacceptable and "cause great concern to our three countries". They added that the "hypotheses" proposed until now in the Saudi inquiry should be considered credible.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters in Berlin on Sunday that she was in favor of a freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia. German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier stressed this point on Monday, calling for a common EU position, as Germany "will not approve new arms exports for the moment, because we want know what happened.
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Gambrell reported in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press editors Aya Batrawy in Dubai, UAE and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
