Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia on October 9 invited Turkish experts and relevant officials to visit its Istanbul consulate.
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Silence will not serve the long-term interests of either the prince or the Saudi kingdom.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said he didn’t know anything about the reports, but that he will be speaking to Riyadh officials.
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed concern about the writer’s disappearance, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. officials have raised the matter with their Saudi counterparts. It’s hard to believe that something so petty could be relevant in a case this serious – but with Trump in the White House, it’s impossible to deny it as a factor. “Right now, nobody knows anything about it”, he said.
Tuesday’s statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, Hami Aksoy, said Saudi authorities have notified Ankara that they were “open to co-operation” and would allow the consulate building to be searched.
Khashoggientered the consulate on October 2 to handle a routine paperwork issue but he never came out, according to family and friends, as well as Turkish authorities.
The country has demanded Saudi Arabia prove he left, while not providing evidence to support the claim he was killed inside.
Where in the world is Jamal Khashoggi?
A former Saudi government advisor, Khashoggi has been openly critical of Prince Mohammed, accusing him of introducing a new era of “fear, intimidation, arrests and public shaming”.
What’s been the reaction to the disappearance?
What’s Next: UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression David Kaye today called for an global, independent investigation into Khashoggi’s disappearance.
It was not clear whether the Saudis meant to arrest and interrogate Khashoggi or to kill him, or if the United States warned Khashoggi that he was a target, the source told the newspaper.
While a military conflict is not likely to arise between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, this new development will place more strain on the relationship, further complicating the already hard situation in the Middle East.
“Deeply troubled to hear reports about Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi”.
Rumors and leaks on Mr Khashoggi’s fate are “malicious” and “outrageous” the ambassador said. As a precaution, he told Cengiz that she should contact an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he did not return. She eventually called the police.
“Our country’s values should be and must be a cornerstone of our foreign policy with foes and allies alike”, he said.
The source was told Khashoggi is still alive, contradicting the claims he was murdered in the Istanbul embassy. Tonight the New York Times reported that Turkish officials concluded he was assassinated in the consulate “on orders from the highest levels of the royal court”.
That hope diminished over the weekend, when several news outlets reported the possibility that Khashoggi had been killed and dismembered at the consulate so that his body could be smuggled out of the building without detection.
The UK has extensive commercial and military links with Saudi and will be reluctant to cause long-term damage to the relationship, but it also has strong links with the Turkish government.
Khashoggi was one journalist who chose to “report the reality”.
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A top Senate ally of Trump warned of a “devastating” impact on the U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia if allegations are confirmed.
