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Jamal Khashoggi: US secretary of state meets Saudi king for crisis talks Erdoğan: toxic materials in Saudi embassy may have been painted over
(about 5 hours later)
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has arrived in Saudi Arabia for crisis talks with King Salman, as reports emerged that the kingdom was poised to acknowledge that the missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi died inside a diplomatic building in Istanbul. Some areas have been repainted at the Saudi consulate where missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was last seen alive, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said on Tuesday, as investigators prepared to enter the nearby Saudi consul’s house after the diplomat left the country.
Pompeo landed in Riyadh on Tuesday morning and met the king immediately to discuss the crisis surrounding Khashoggi, who vanished two weeks ago during a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The US’s top diplomat “reiterated US concern over Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance”, according to State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert. Erdoğan told reporters that police had found evidence of toxic materials and signs that some surfaces had been repainted at the consulate where investigators say the missing journalist was killed.
He later met the county’s powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and is on Wednesday due to visit Istanbul, where a joint Turkish-Saudi investigation is under way. “My hope is that we can reach conclusions that will give us a reasonable opinion as soon as possible, because the investigation is looking into many things such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting them over,” he said.
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on Tuesday said police who entered the consulate for the first time on Monday had found some surfaces had been painted over. “My hope is that we can reach conclusions that will give us a reasonable opinion as soon as possible, because the investigation is looking into many things such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting them over,” he told reporters. As police vans on Tuesday pulled up outside the consul general’s residence, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, met for crisis talks in Riyadh with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, and his father, King Salman.
Pompeo “reiterated US concern over Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance”, according to state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert. Reporters travelling with the US delegation said a morning meeting with the king lasted no more than 15 minutes.
At their afternoon meeting at the Royal Palace, Pompeo and the crown prince exchanged smiles and pleasantries about whether the secretary of state was feeling jetlag. Before reporters were ushered out, the prince said: “We are strong and old allies. We face our challenges together.”
“Absolutely,” Pompeo replied.
The meeting lasted half an hour but Pompeo and the prince were expected to have a more prolonged session of talks over dinner.
While US media had been reporting that the Saudis were poised to acknowledge that the missing journalist had died as part of a botched rendition attempt, Turkey’s foreign minster Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Tuesday that Riyadh had not offered any explanation to Turkey regarding Khashoggi’s disappearance.
Pompeo is expected to travel on to Turkey on Wednesday, where a joint Turkish-Saudi investigation is under way.
Last week, US president Donald Trump threatened “severe punishment” if it emerged that Khashoggi had been assassinated.
However, on Monday he said, without offering evidence, that Khashoggi could have been murdered by “rogue killers”, prompting speculation that the White House may be willing to protect the House of Saud, a key political and trade ally, from blame for the diplomatic crisis.
Turkish officials, also wary of antagonising an already brittle relationship with Riyadh, continued to leak to news outlets on Tuesday that police found evidence in the nearby consulate building during Monday’s search that proved Khashoggi was killed there. Turkish sources allege the body was then transported to the consul general’s house nearby and disposed of.
Of particular interest to the forensics team in the new search is the garden, where it is believed the journalist’s remains could have been buried, and a garage under the house, where cars with diplomatic plates spent several hours after driving from the consulate building on the day he vanished. At least four diplomatic vehicles are also included in the probe.
Mohammad al-Otaibi, the consul general, has not been seen in public since the scandal erupted. Turkish television and semi official Anadolu news agency said on Tuesday evening that he left Turkey on a commercial flight hours before his residence was expected to be searched.
Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the crown prince, relocated from Saudi Arabia to the US last year, where he wrote for the Washington Post. He visited the Saudi consulate building in Istanbul on 2 October for an appointment to pick up documents for his forthcoming marriage and has not been seen since.Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the crown prince, relocated from Saudi Arabia to the US last year, where he wrote for the Washington Post. He visited the Saudi consulate building in Istanbul on 2 October for an appointment to pick up documents for his forthcoming marriage and has not been seen since.
Turkish officials allege they have video and audio evidence that proves Khashoggi was interrogated and murdered by a 15-man hit squad sent from Riyadh – claims Saudi Arabia continues to deny, although it has offered no alternative version of events. Turkish officials allege they have video and audio evidence that proves Khashoggi was interrogated, tortured and murdered by a 15-man hit squad sent from Riyadh – claims Saudi Arabia says are false, although it has offered no alternative version of events.
US media outlets reported late on Monday that Saudi Arabia was considering making a statement admitting that Khashoggi died inside the consulate building as the result of a botched rendition. Turkish investigators were allowed access to the diplomatic building for the first time on Monday afternoon, shortly after cleaners with disinfectant, mops and buckets were seen entering the building’s main door.
Any such admission would be issued only after a deal was reached with Turkey on how the criminal investigation should proceed, the Washington Post reported, citing two US diplomatic sources. Although it is unclear what evidence could be extracted two weeks after Khashoggi vanished, after a nine-hour search, forensic vehicles took away soil samples as well as a metal door from the garden. A second swoop of the premises is planned for Tuesday.
Last week, the US president threatened “severe punishment” if it emerged that Khashoggi had been murdered. However, on Monday he said, without offering evidence, that Khashoggi could have been murdered by “rogue killers”, prompting speculation that the White House may be willing to protect the House of Saud, a key political and trade ally, from blame for the diplomatic crisis. Ankara has wanted to search the consulate and residence for days, but under the Vienna convention, diplomatic posts are technically foreign soil that must be protected and respected by host countries.
Turkish investigators were allowed access to the diplomatic building for the first time on Monday afternoon. Technicians in overalls, gloves and covered shoes emerged nine hours later. Khashoggi wrote extensively for the Washington Post about Saudi Arabia, criticising its war in Yemen, the recent diplomatic spat with Canada and its arrest of women’s rights activists after the lifting of Saudi Arabia’s driving ban for women. Those policies are viewed as initiatives of Bin Salman, who is next in line to the throne.
Ankara has wanted to search the consulate for days, but under the Vienna convention, diplomatic posts are technically foreign soil that must be protected and respected by host countries.
Before the Turkish team arrived, cleaners with disinfectant, mops and buckets were seen entering the building’s main door.
Although it was not immediately clear what evidence could be extracted two weeks after Khashoggi’s disappearance, al-Jazeera reported that a source in the Turkish attorney general’s office said the search team found sufficient evidence to “support the belief” the missing writer was killed.
Police plan to conduct a second search, of the Saudi consul’s home in Istanbul, on Tuesday.
Khashoggi wrote extensively for the Washington Post about Saudi Arabia, criticising its war in Yemen, the recent diplomatic spat with Canada and its arrest of women’s rights activists after the lifting of a driving ban for women. Those policies are all seen as initiatives of Bin Salman, who is next in line to the throne.
Khashoggi’s family, who said they have been left to “sadly and anxiously follow the conflicting news”, on Monday called for an independent investigation into his disappearance.Khashoggi’s family, who said they have been left to “sadly and anxiously follow the conflicting news”, on Monday called for an independent investigation into his disappearance.
“The strong moral and legal responsibility which our father instilled in us obliges us to call for the establishment of an independent and impartial international commission to inquire into the circumstances of his death,” the statement read.“The strong moral and legal responsibility which our father instilled in us obliges us to call for the establishment of an independent and impartial international commission to inquire into the circumstances of his death,” the statement read.
The call was echoed on Tuesday by the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, who urged Ankara and Riyadh to waive diplomatic immunity in the case and “reveal everything they know about the disappearance and possible extrajudicial killing” of Khashoggi.The call was echoed on Tuesday by the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, who urged Ankara and Riyadh to waive diplomatic immunity in the case and “reveal everything they know about the disappearance and possible extrajudicial killing” of Khashoggi.
Jamal KhashoggiJamal Khashoggi
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
Middle East and North AfricaMiddle East and North Africa
US foreign policyUS foreign policy
Journalist safetyJournalist safety
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
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