A TURKISH newspaper has published surveillance video images showing a man who previously travelled with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s entourage walking into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul before journalist Jamal Khashoggi vanished there.
The pro-government Sabah newspaper’s report showed the man outside the Saudi consul general’s home later, then checking out of a Turkish hotel as a large suitcase stood by his side before leaving Turkey on October 2.
The report came as Turkish crime scene investigators finished a search of both the Saudi consul general’s residence and a second search of the consulate itself amid Ankara’s fears that Saudi authorities had Khashoggi killed and dismembered inside the diplomatic mission in Istanbul.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who went into a self-imposed exile in the US over the rise of Prince Mohammed, is feared dead after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul more than two weeks ago.
Yesterday The Washington Post published what it described as Khashoggi’s last column in honour of the missing journalist. In it, Khashoggi pointed to the muted international response to ongoing abuses against journalists by governments in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia, which initially called the allegations “baseless”, has not responded to repeated requests for comment over recent days.
US secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday he has told Saudi’s rulers the US takes “very seriously” the disappearance, adding that the US will await the outcome of investigations before deciding how to respond.
The Sabah report showed the man walking past police barricades at the consulate at 9.55am local time with several men trailing behind him. Khashoggi arrived at the consulate several hours later at 1.14pm, then disappeared while his fiancee waited outside for him. He had arrived at the consulate to pick up some paperwork he needed in order to get married.
An earlier report by the Yeni Safak newspaper, citing what it described as an audio recording of Khashoggi’s killing, said a Saudi team immediately accosted the 60-year-old after he entered the consulate, cutting off his fingers and later decapitating him.
Previously leaked surveillance footage showed consular vehicles moving from the consulate to the consul general’s residence, just over a mile away.
Security services in Turkey have used pro-government media to leak details of Khashoggi’s case, adding to the pressure on the kingdom.
The man in the images’ identity cannot immediately be verified, although he is one of the individuals previously identified by Turkish authorities as being involved in the 15-man Saudi team that targeted Khashoggi.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here