Erdogan: Turkey Will Release Details of Khashoggi Murder Investigation on Tuesday

The President of Turkey stated that the country will release details of the investigation into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at a public gathering on Sunday, October 21, added, "We are seeking justice in this case, and all the facts will be revealed, not just through ordinary steps but the whole truth will be made clear." He said, "I will speak about this at the party meeting on Tuesday. Why did 15 people come... but 18 were arrested... details will be discussed." Erdogan referred to the arrival of a 15-member team from Saudi Arabia with two private jets to the country for Khashoggi's murder. After two weeks of denying involvement in the disappearance of the journalist, Saudi Arabia finally admitted on Friday night that he was "dead" in the Saudi consulate. Riyadh announced that 18 people had been arrested in this regard. However, a Saudi official provided a different narrative, stating that Mr. Khashoggi was suffocated. The new account is based on details of how the 15-member Saudi team confronted Khashoggi, drugged him, and abducted him, and when the journalist resisted, they suffocated him. One of the team members then wore Khashoggi's clothes to make it appear that he had left the Saudi consulate. The contradictory narratives from Riyadh officials have sparked reactions from many countries around the world, calling for a thorough investigation and uncovering the truth about how he was killed and the fate of his body. Hours before Erdogan's remarks, a senior member of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party stated that the country would not allow a cover-up in the case of Khashoggi's murder. Numan Kurtulmus, the deputy leader of the party, warned in an interview with "CNN Turk" that the consequences of such actions could be "fatal." The deputy leader of the Justice and Development Party said, "When this incident is so complex in the world, Saudi officials cannot concoct a story that a team from Saudi Arabia entered and two or three of them killed Khashoggi." Kurtulmus added, "A crime committed in a consulate cannot happen without the knowledge of senior officials of that country. If this crime occurred as stated, if the evidence leads to this conclusion, the situation will be fatal and will have serious legal consequences." Al-Jubeir: The Murder of Jamal Khashoggi Was a 'Major and Fatal Mistake' The Saudi Foreign Minister stated that the murder of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was a "major and fatal mistake" and promised Khashoggi's family that those responsible for the incident would be punished. Adel al-Jubeir said in an interview with "Fox News" on Sunday, "This is a horrific mistake. This is a terrible tragedy. We express our condolences to them (Khashoggi's family). We understand their pain and suffering." He added, "Unfortunately, a major and fatal mistake occurred, and I am sure those responsible for this will be held accountable." The Saudi Foreign Minister also claimed that Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of the country, was not aware of the murder plan for Khashoggi. Bin Salman is accused of ordering the murder. I believe that Mohammed bin Salman was involved in this matter, directed it, and that Khashoggi was killed with premeditation. The Republican Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Continues International Reactions International reactions to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate continue, and in the latest case, three countries, Britain, Germany, and France, issued a joint statement on Sunday condemning the murder of the journalist, stating that "there is an urgent need to clarify what happened." These three countries stated that attacks on journalists are unacceptable and "raise broad concerns for all three countries." They added that the assumptions made in the Saudi investigation must align with the facts to confirm their credibility. According to the Associated Press, France, Britain, and Germany called for further efforts to clarify the truth and stated that they would not judge the matter until they received further explanations. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he believes Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, was involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi critic journalist. Corker said on Sunday to "CNN" that "I believe Mohammed bin Salman was involved in this matter, directed it, and that Khashoggi was killed with premeditation." He noted regarding the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, "Do I think he did this? Yes, I think he did." The Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee clarified, "I am looking for more information, but my feeling is this." In this context, Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister, expressed doubt about the continued sale of arms from his country to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest buyers of weapons from Germany. Heiko Maas said on Saturday to the German ARD television network, "As long as investigations into Khashoggi's death continue and until we know what happened, there is no basis for making a positive decision regarding arms exports to Saudi Arabia." His remarks came after he and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, issued a joint statement calling for clarity from Saudi leaders about those involved in the death of the Washington Post columnist. Following the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate on October 2, Riyadh, which had claimed for two weeks that it was unaware of the journalist's situation, confirmed on Friday night that he was killed in its consulate building in Istanbul. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, despite the incident involving Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey, announced his decision to continue arms sales to the country. He pointed to Saudi Arabia's extensive arms orders from the United States and that this large order has created many job opportunities in the United States, saying, "They say we want you to cancel this order. Well, doesn't that mean harming our own country? They say the U.S. won't sell us [weapons], so we will buy from China or Russia. Of course, there are other countries as well." Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister, also announced that Berlin would not participate in the upcoming investment summit to be held next week in Riyadh. In recent days, economic and trade officials as well as foreign ministers from France, Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands have also announced that they will not attend this summit. The upcoming investment summit in Saudi Arabia was planned last year under the title "Davos in the Desert" with the aim of attracting and engaging important figures in the global economy. In addition to several economic and political officials from Western countries, Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, and Jim Yong Kim, the head of the World Bank, have also announced that they will not attend this summit. The Impact of Jamal Khashoggi's Disappearance on Regional Equations On the other hand, Bruno Le Maire, the French Finance Minister, welcomed the Saudi government's statement acknowledging the killing of this critical journalist but said that the Saudi kingdom must conduct a full and transparent investigation in this regard. According to Reuters, he stated, "I saw that Saudi officials have changed their approach, acknowledged the realities, and somewhat accepted responsibility, so this itself is progress. But the truth must be completely clarified." The French Finance Minister stated that how the relationship with Saudi Arabia will proceed "depends on how the truth is revealed, the investigations conducted, and the results obtained." Le Maire emphasized, "If they continue this process with a full investigation aimed at uncovering the truth, I believe strategic relations between us and Saudi Arabia can be maintained." Meanwhile, the French news agency reported that Turkish investigators have summoned a larger number of witnesses to testify about the events related to Jamal Khashoggi's murder. The NTV television network reported on Sunday that 25 witnesses have been summoned in this regard. The network did not provide further details in this regard. Turkish investigators had also interrogated employees of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Friday, including the consulate's driver, technical staff, and accountants. The Possibility of U.S. Sanctions on Saudi Arabia; 'We Will Not Comment for Now' Meanwhile, Steven Mnuchin, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, deemed it premature to comment on the possibility of U.S. sanctions against Saudi Arabia due to Khashoggi's murder. According to Reuters, Mnuchin stated on Sunday that it is necessary to wait for the investigations to conclude and the final results to be announced. He called the confirmation of the journalist's death by Saudi Arabia in its consulate in Turkey a "positive step, but insufficient." The White House's Reaction Following the Confirmation of Khashoggi's Murder at the Saudi Consulate Following Khashoggi's disappearance, Saudi Arabia, which had repeatedly stated it was unaware of Jamal Khashoggi's situation, confirmed that he was killed during a confrontation at its consulate in Istanbul. Turkish sources say that Khashoggi was "dismembered" by a 15-member team, but the Saudi government claims that he was killed following a dispute in the consulate and that Saudi officials are unaware of the location of his body. In response to this statement, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, echoed European leaders, stating that he wants a more substantial response from the Saudis regarding this case. He noted the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi's body, saying, "We want to understand where it is and what happened," adding that he is consulting with the U.S. Congress regarding the U.S. response to this matter. Reuters also reported, citing a senior Saudi official, that the 15-member team that went to the Saudi consulate in Turkey to kill Khashoggi threatened him with drug injection and abduction, which led to a confrontation among them, and ultimately, the journalist was killed during this confrontation. This Saudi official, who requested anonymity, provided a narrative that differs from the one published in the official statement by the Saudi kingdom. According to him, after Khashoggi was killed, one of the assault team members wore his clothes and exited the consulate to make it appear as if the journalist had left the building.