Jamal Khashoggi's Fiancée: He Thought There Would Be No Problem at the Consulate

Jamal Khashoggi's fiancée, the murdered Saudi journalist, said on Friday that he believed the Saudi government in Turkey would not create any problems for him or detain him, although he was concerned that the situation might become tense when he visited the consulate. In an interview with Haber Turk news network, Khadija Chengiz stated that Jamal Khashoggi did not want to go to the Saudi consulate. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was murdered on October 2 at the consulate in Istanbul. His murder has become a serious crisis for the Saudi government and the young, powerful crown prince. After a long silence and the release of contradictory explanations regarding the incident, the Saudi government faced intense pressure from the international community to reveal the facts surrounding the murder. In its latest statement, the Saudi prosecutor announced that the murder was premeditated. Previously, officials had claimed that Khashoggi was killed accidentally during a confrontation at the consulate. Khadija Chengiz further stated in her interview with Haber Turk that Khashoggi had a strong network of friends, acquaintances, and political connections in Turkey. He thought Turkey was a safe country and that if he were detained or interrogated at the consulate, the issue would be resolved quickly. Khashoggi went to the Saudi consulate to obtain official documents needed for his marriage. Chengiz added that during his first visit to the consulate on September 28, he was treated well. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday urged Saudi Arabia to reveal the masterminds behind Khashoggi's murder and the location of his body, thereby increasing international pressure on the country to disclose the facts related to this incident. Erdogan reiterated his two key questions to Saudi officials: 'Where is Jamal Khashoggi's body?' and 'Who ordered his murder?' According to Reuters, the Turkish president also indicated that he possesses information about the Khashoggi case that has not yet been shared with anyone. During a meeting with several members of Turkey's ruling party, he asked, 'Who ordered those 15 people to come to Turkey?' referring to the team that arrived in Istanbul before Khashoggi's disappearance and left the city the following night. Erdogan had previously called for the disclosure of the identity of the 'main perpetrator' in this murder case and emphasized that several individuals alleged to be involved in the murder should be tried on Turkish soil. On Friday, Erdogan reiterated his two key questions and announced that the Saudi prosecutor is scheduled to meet with the Istanbul prosecutor on Sunday, two days later.