ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia´s CrownPrince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday discussed steps to “shed light” onthe murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in their first telephoneconversation since the killing, a presidential source said.
Erdogan has far spoken twice on the phone with Saudi King Salman sinceKhashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and Riyadh critic, was killedinside the Saudi consulate on October 2, which he had visited to obtaindocuments for his marriage to a Turkish woman.
But Wednesday´s telephone conversation was the first time he has spoken tothe crown prince, known as MBS, who is seen as the driving force inday-to-day rule of the kingdom.
The two discussed “the issue of joint efforts and the steps that need to betaken in order to shed light on the Jamal Khashoggi murder in all itsaspects,” the source added.
The phone call was at the request of the prince, the presidential sourcenoted.
Read Top Stories
After more than two weeks of vehement denials, Saudi Arabia assertedSaturday that the journalist was killed in a “brawl and fist fight” insidethe country´s consulate in Istanbul — without revealing the whereabouts ofhis body.
Erdogan has never directly blamed Riyadh for the killing but vowed thatTurkey would not allow the culprits to get away with the “savage murder”.
“We are determined not to allow any cover up of this murder and for allthose responsible — from those who gave the command to those who executedit — not to escape justice,” he said on Wednesday. – APP/AFP
