ISTANBUL – Turkey on Friday denied giving “any kind of audio tape” from theinvestigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at theSaudi consulate in Istanbul to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or anyAmerican official.
“It is out of the question for Turkey to give any kind of audio tape toPompeo or any other US official,” said Turkish Foreign Minister MevlutCavusoglu, two days after meeting with the US s top diplomat for talks inAnkara.
Turkey s pro-government press has reported that Turkey has an audiorecording that proves the alleged murder of Khashoggi at the consulate andthat he was tortured before his death.
The existence of the tape has never been confirmed on the record by Turkishofficials.
ABC News, quoting a senior Turkish official, reported Thursday that duringhis visit to Turkey this week Pompeo heard this audio and was shown atranscript of the recording. But Pompeo denied the report.
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“I ve seen no tape. I ve seen no — or I ve heard no tape. I ve seen notranscript,” he told reporters during a trip to Latin America.
Cavusoglu, like other Turkish officials, stopped short of revealing detailsof the investigation but vowed they would be shared in due course.
“We will share the results to emerge with the entire world. It is out ofthe question for us to share this or that information with any country,” hesaid, quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency. -APP/AFP
