Khashoggi, a Saudi national, was last seen at the embassy in Istanbul.
Turkish officials are saying that Washington Post contributor and journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where he went missing on Tuesday. Based on the investigation by Turkish authorities, they believe Khashoggi was murdered.
BBC says that Saudi Arabia is denying this, and say that they too are searching for the former political consultant turned journalist. However, a representative for Turkey’s ruling AK Party claims to have “concrete evidence” that Khashoggi was killed at the consulate.
Jamal Khashoggi, who was living in Turkey, went to the Saudi consulate on Tuesday with the hope of getting a document to prove that he had divorced his wife in Saudi Arabia so that he can marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. Cengiz says that she waited for Khashoggi outside the building for eleven hours but he never exited the compound.
She explains that Khashoggi had to turn in his cell phone before entering, and he told her if he didn’t return, she should call an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and report the matter.
Cengiz tweeted that she was unwilling to believe that he was dead. “Jamal is not dead. I cannot believe that he has been killed…!”
The head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, Turan Kislakci, said that Mr. Khashoggi was not seen leaving the building on foot, but they believe he was killed “on the premises and his body was then removed.” Diplomatic cars were seen going in and out of the compound which makes this plausible.
From the Saudi point of view, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the allegations are baseless, and that Khashoggi is not at the consulate. He added that Turkish authorities are welcome to search the building because “we have nothing to hide.”
The New York Times says that Turkey is demanding a “convincing explanation” as to what happened to Khashoggi after he entered the Saudi consulate.
Yasin Aktay, an adviser to Turkey’s ruling party promises that this case will not remain unsolved, and they will find out what happened to Khashoggi. “There is concrete information; it will not remain an unsolved case. The consulate should make a clear explanation. If they consider Turkey as it was like in the 1990s, they are mistaken.”
Jamal Khashoggi has been critical of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. His editor at the Washington Post says she remains hopeful, but is obviously concerned about the matter.
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