- Turkey promises to share details of incident soon
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he found Saudi Arabia’s explanation about the death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi credible and termed it an “important first step.”
Trump added if the US takes action, he does not want it to impact arms sales to the kingdom, which said Khashoggi was killed in a fight at its Istanbul consulate. Turkish officials pointed to a state-sanctioned hit.
“I do, I do,” Trump said when asked if he found the Saudis’ explanation credible, adding: “It’s early, we haven’t finished our review or investigation, but… I think it’s a very important first step.”
“I would prefer, if there is going to be some form of sanction or what we may determine to do, if anything… that we don’t use as retribution canceling $110 billion worth of work, which means 600,000 jobs,” he said during a visit to Arizona, referring to a major arms deal with the kingdom.
Trump has sent mixed messages about Khashoggi for days, vowing a severe response but also saying that the United States wants to preserve its close relationship with the conservative kingdom.
Members of the US Congress were far harsher in the wake of the kingdom’s admission that Khashoggi was dead.
Republican Senator Bob Corker, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, said he doubted the credibility of the Saudi authorities, who insisted for weeks that he left the consulate.
“The story the Saudis have told about Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance continues to change with each passing day, so we should not assume their latest story holds water,” he tweeted.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally who has nonetheless been outspoken about Khashoggi, shared Corker’s suspicion.
“To say that I am skeptical of the new Saudi narrative about Mr Khashoggi is an understatement,” the Republican senator tweeted.
TURKEY TO DIVULGE DETAILS:
Turkey vowed on Saturday to reveal all details of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Saudi Arabia admitted he was killed at its Istanbul consulate, state media reported.
“Turkey will reveal whatever had happened. Nobody should ever doubt about it,” said Omer Celik, spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Anadolu news agency reported.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and critic of the Islamic petro-state’s powerful crown prince, was last seen on October 2 entering his country’s consulate in Istanbul.
Riyadh’s admission came after persistent claims by the Saudi authorities that the journalist had left the consulate alive.
Turkish police and prosecutors this week searched both the consulate as well as the consul’s residence in Istanbul.
Celik said it was Turkey’s “debt of honour” to reveal what happened.
“We are not accusing anyone in advance but we don’t accept anything to remain covered (up),” he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday night spoke with Saudi King Salman and the two agreed to continue cooperation in the probe.
In public, Erdogan and top government figures have remained extremely cautious, often referring to a prosecutors’ investigation and stopping short of pinning the blame on Saudi Arabia.
Staff members of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul testified to prosecutors on Friday as part of the probe.
