Saudi team after Post Writer included soldiers, royal guards

ISTANBUL – Saudi royal guards, intelligence officers, soldiers and an autopsy expert were part of a 15-member team from the kingdom that targeted missing writer Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish media said Thursday. The Washington Post contributor vanished last week while visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appearing to be at a stretch of Saudi Arabia to reveal what happened to Khashoggi, while also balancing Ankara's need to maintain the kingdom's investments in Turkey and relations on other issues.

In Washington, President Donald Trump has several American lawmakers, who are American lawmakers and have long been in the United States.

Turkish officials say they fear Saudi Arabia killed and dismembered Khashoggi, without proposing evidence explaining why they believe that. Khashoggi contributed columns to the Post, including some critical Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Abdullah Khashoggi "baseless" Saudi Arabia, "but it's not the case." _him_.

Information continued to trickle out through the media in the United States of America. "These leaks, largely matching across Turkey's state-run media and private Erdogan-linked outlets, likely to come out of the country's security services as Khashoggi's Oct. 2 Disappearance.

The first plane of the nine Saudis arrived from Riyadh around 3:30 a.m., which day, and included an individual described as a forensic official, according to the Sabah newspaper. One Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity The Associated Press to discuss an ongoing police investigation, previously described as an "autopsy expert."

The other six flew in commercial flights, according to a list obtained by Sabah, which also published their names and faces. Local media describes the Saudis being a military officer and intelligence officers, as well as several "royal guards."

Around the time Khashoggi entered the consulate, a second private plane from Riyadh took off for Istanbul. 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away from the consul 's residence.

The Hurriyet newspaper and other media alleged that the consulate's 28 local staff were given the day off because a "diplomats' meeting" would be held there. The reports did not quote a source and there was no official confirmation.

By 7 p.m., six of the Saudis left the plane, flying over to Cairo, and remaining to Riyadh, according to Sabah and other media reports. By 11 p.m., another another by the other private plane, heading to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, similarly remaining there overnight and then flying to Riyadh next day, according to reports. Two others flew commercially, Sabah said.

Khashoggi's disappearance.

Erdogan was quoted by Turkish media on Thursday as telling journalists flying back home from a visit to Hungary that "we can not remain silent to such an incident."

"How is it possible for a consulate, an embassy not to have security camera systems? Is it possible for the Saudi Arabian consulate where the incident occurred? "Erdogan asked. "If a bird flew, if a mosquito appeared, these systems would catch them and (I believe) they (the Saudis) would have the most advanced of systems."

Meanwhile, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he has a call to Khashoggi's fiancee, Hattie Cengiz, who has appealed to the president and first lady Melania Trump for help.

Trump said he had spoken to the Saudis about what he called a "bad situation," but he did not disclose details of his conversations. He also said the U.S. was working "very closely" with Turkey, "and I think we'll get to the bottom of it."

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said national security adviser Jared Kushner spoke on Tuesday to Crown Prince Mohammed about Khashoggi.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo then had a follow-up call to the crown prince to reiterate the U.S. request for information and a thorough, transparent investigation.

In an interview later Wednesday with "Fox News @ Night," Trump said he wanted to find out what happened to Khashoggi but came back to consider blocking arms sales, citing economic reasons.

"I think that would be hurting us," Trump said. "We have jobs, we have a lot of things happening in this country. We have a country that's doing it better economically than it's ever done before. "

"Part of that is what we're doing with our defense systems and everybody's wanting them," he continued. "And frankly, I think that would be very, very tough to swallow for our country. I mean, you're about, you know, they're always quick to jump that way. "

Trump visited Saudi Arabia and announced $ 110 billion in proposed arms sales. The administration also links to the Middle East agenda to counter Iranian influence, fight extremism and support an expected peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians.

Khashoggi had gone to the consulate on Tuesday last week to get the paperwork he needed for his upcoming marriage. His Turkish fiancee waited outside.

The Post reported Wednesday evening that U.S. intelligence intercepts outlined in Saudi plan to detain Khashoggi. The Post, quoted anonymous U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence, said Prince Mohammed commanded the operation of Khashoggi from his home in Virginia, where he lived most recently, to Saudi Arabia and then detain him.

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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey, and Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

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