Turkey confirms that it needs the Saudi permit in the records by Khashoggi
The Turkish Interior Minister, Süleyman Soylu, confirmed today that the registration of the Saudi consular residence in Istanbul, scheduled for yesterday but finally postponed, still needs the approval of Riyadh.
"It has already been accepted (the registration), but there is still a joint agreement as to when to start it, that agreement is expected, then this step will be taken," Soylu said in a televised interview with Turkish semi-public agency Anadolu.
The Turkish teams registered in the night of Monday during nine hours the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, critical of the political course of the monarchy of his country, disappeared last October 2nd.
But despite obtaining authorization from Riyadh to extend the inquiries to the residence of the consul, about 200 meters from the legation, the Turkish team waited for hours in the vicinity of the residence last night, without being able to contact the Saudi team that had accompany them.
The Saudi consul in Istanbul, Mohamed Ibrahim Otaibi, returned home yesterday by plane and, according to Turkish government sources, decided to leave Turkey "of his own free will", without a decision from Ankara.
Soylu admitted that the investigation could be considered "suffering delays," but he asked for patience and "cold blood."
Regarding the question of whether Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, the minister refused to make any official assessment.
"There are a lot of statements in the press, some are based on rumors, others on small details leaked, but we have not done any evaluation so far, I'm speaking for the first time, what happened or did not happen will be clear at the end of the legal process." said Soylu.
"I have my own opinion, but I am Minister of the Interior, and this is my personal opinion, it is very clear, but this is a matter for Justice," the politician concluded.
