AFP, Ankara :
Turkey on Friday said President Donald Trump intended to turn a “blind eye” to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder after he said Washington’s ties with Riyadh would not be affected by the incident.
“In one sense, Trump is saying ‘I will turn a blind eye’,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with CNN Turk broadcaster, referring to Trump’s continued support for Saudi Arabia, which has committed to billions of dollars in US weapons contracts.
Trump’s backing comes despite global outrage over the grisly killing that has tarnished the image of the kingdom’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS.
Trump on Tuesday glossed over the Central Intelligence Agency’s reported conclusion that the the crown prince had authorised the killing.
“Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” Trump said, implying Prince Mohammed’s culpability in Khashoggi’s killing in the diplomatic compound.
Trump was widely pilloried for what critics called his mercantile priorities that made him appear more like a lobbyist for Riyadh, raising the prospect of strong congressional action against Saudi Arabia.
Turkey insists the murder was premeditated, sharing evidence with Riyadh as well as with the US and Western allies but stops short of pointing the finger of blame at the prince.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the order came from “the highest levels” but not from King Salman.
Ankara has not ruled out the possibility of a meeting between Erdogan and Prince Mohammed on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Argentina next week.
“We don’t see any obstacle to a meeting with the crown prince,” Cavusoglu said. “If there is a request, there could be a meeting but our president will decide.”
The two men spoke on the phone in late October but that would be the first face-to-face encounter since the murder.
Prince Salman on Thursday embarked on a regional tour starting with Riyadh’s close ally United Arab Emirates, his first official trip since the killing.
The prince is also set to travel to the Tunisian capital on Tuesday.
Turkish pro-government media, which has often provided gruesome details of what happened to Khashoggi in a series of leaks maintaining pressure against Riyadh, speculated further on what happened to Khashoggi’s body.
Sabah newspaper reported Khashoggi was first strangled using a bag over his head before Salah Muhammed Al-Tubaigy, a lieutenant-colonel in the Saudi forensic department, drained his blood in the bathtub before dismembering him.
Saudi Arabia has said that 21 people are in custody, with death penalties sought against five men, but attention remains focused on whether the crown prince ordered the murder despite the kingdom’s denials.
The European Union on Thursday called for those “really responsible” to be held to account.
Calling for a “completely transparent and credible investigation”, the EU’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini said: “For us accountability does not mean revenge.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Wednesday said criticism of Prince Mohammed is a “red line”, and that calls for him to be held accountable for the murder would not be tolerated.
But keeping up the international pressure on Riyadh, Denmark on Thursday suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the murder, the second country to do so after Germany.
Separately on Thursday, the French foreign ministry said it would impose sanctions against 18 Saudi citizens over Khashoggi’s murder.
Erdogan has said the order to murder Khashoggi came from “the highest levels” of the Saudi government but has stopped short of directly blaming Prince Mohammed.
Saudi Arabia has said that 21 people are in custody, with death penalties sought against five men, but attention remains focused on whether the crown prince ordered the murder despite the kingdom’s denials.
The European Union on Thursday called for those “really responsible” to be held to account.
Calling for a “completely transparent and credible investigation”, the EU’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini said: “For us accountability does not mean revenge.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Wednesday said criticism of Prince Mohammed is a “red line”, and that calls for him to be held accountable for the murder would not be tolerated.
But keeping up the international pressure on Riyadh, Denmark on Thursday suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the murder, the second country to do so after Germany.
Turkey on Friday said President Donald Trump intended to turn a “blind eye” to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder after he said Washington’s ties with Riyadh would not be affected by the incident.
“In one sense, Trump is saying ‘I will turn a blind eye’,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with CNN Turk broadcaster, referring to Trump’s continued support for Saudi Arabia, which has committed to billions of dollars in US weapons contracts.
Trump’s backing comes despite global outrage over the grisly killing that has tarnished the image of the kingdom’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS.
Trump on Tuesday glossed over the Central Intelligence Agency’s reported conclusion that the the crown prince had authorised the killing.
“Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” Trump said, implying Prince Mohammed’s culpability in Khashoggi’s killing in the diplomatic compound.
Trump was widely pilloried for what critics called his mercantile priorities that made him appear more like a lobbyist for Riyadh, raising the prospect of strong congressional action against Saudi Arabia.
Turkey insists the murder was premeditated, sharing evidence with Riyadh as well as with the US and Western allies but stops short of pointing the finger of blame at the prince.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the order came from “the highest levels” but not from King Salman.
Ankara has not ruled out the possibility of a meeting between Erdogan and Prince Mohammed on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Argentina next week.
“We don’t see any obstacle to a meeting with the crown prince,” Cavusoglu said. “If there is a request, there could be a meeting but our president will decide.”
The two men spoke on the phone in late October but that would be the first face-to-face encounter since the murder.
Prince Salman on Thursday embarked on a regional tour starting with Riyadh’s close ally United Arab Emirates, his first official trip since the killing.
The prince is also set to travel to the Tunisian capital on Tuesday.
Turkish pro-government media, which has often provided gruesome details of what happened to Khashoggi in a series of leaks maintaining pressure against Riyadh, speculated further on what happened to Khashoggi’s body.
Sabah newspaper reported Khashoggi was first strangled using a bag over his head before Salah Muhammed Al-Tubaigy, a lieutenant-colonel in the Saudi forensic department, drained his blood in the bathtub before dismembering him.
Saudi Arabia has said that 21 people are in custody, with death penalties sought against five men, but attention remains focused on whether the crown prince ordered the murder despite the kingdom’s denials.
The European Union on Thursday called for those “really responsible” to be held to account.
Calling for a “completely transparent and credible investigation”, the EU’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini said: “For us accountability does not mean revenge.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Wednesday said criticism of Prince Mohammed is a “red line”, and that calls for him to be held accountable for the murder would not be tolerated.
But keeping up the international pressure on Riyadh, Denmark on Thursday suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the murder, the second country to do so after Germany.
Separately on Thursday, the French foreign ministry said it would impose sanctions against 18 Saudi citizens over Khashoggi’s murder.
Erdogan has said the order to murder Khashoggi came from “the highest levels” of the Saudi government but has stopped short of directly blaming Prince Mohammed.
Saudi Arabia has said that 21 people are in custody, with death penalties sought against five men, but attention remains focused on whether the crown prince ordered the murder despite the kingdom’s denials.
The European Union on Thursday called for those “really responsible” to be held to account.
Calling for a “completely transparent and credible investigation”, the EU’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini said: “For us accountability does not mean revenge.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Wednesday said criticism of Prince Mohammed is a “red line”, and that calls for him to be held accountable for the murder would not be tolerated.
But keeping up the international pressure on Riyadh, Denmark on Thursday suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the murder, the second country to do so after Germany.
