Turkish, Saudi prosecutors cooperating on Khashoggi’s case is useful, says Turkey’s foreign minister

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks to journalists after attending a meeting with US Secretary of State at Esenboga International Airport in Ankara, on October 17, 2018. (File/AFP)
Updated 30 October 2018
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Turkish, Saudi prosecutors cooperating on Khashoggi’s case is useful, says Turkey’s foreign minister

  • Saudi public prosecutor Saud Al Mojeb said this week the killing was premeditated
  • Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said those behind the killing would be prosecuted in the kingdom

The Saudi public prosecutor heading the investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi met Istanbul’s chief prosecutor on Monday, state-owned Anadolu news agency said.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Turkey values the outcome of the talks between the two prosecutors.

Turkey believes Saudi and Turkish prosecutors sharing information on the investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is useful, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, adding that the cooperation should continue.

He made the comments during a news conference with Azeri and Georgian foreign ministers. He said Saudi had proposed the visit from its public prosecutor to Turkey and called on the kingdom to conclude the investigation as soon as possible.

Anadolu said the Saudi prosecutor would inspect the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where Khashoggi was killed nearly four weeks ago. Saudi public prosecutor Saud Al Mojeb said this week the killing was premeditated.

Turkish prosecutors have prepared a request for the extradition from Saudi Arabia of 18 suspects who were arrested by Riyadh as part of the investigation. However, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said on Saturday that the 18 suspects arrested over the killing of Khashoggi will be prosecuted in the kingdom.

Jubeil made the announcement at a regional security summit in Bahrain, a day after Turkish prosecutors demanded the extradition of the 18 suspects to Turkey for trial.

“On the issue of extradition, the individuals are Saudi nationals. They’re detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

The Saudi minister vowed that the government will bring those responsible for the murder to justice.

“We will hold people to account and those responsible will be punished, and we will put in place mechanism to make sure that it won’t happen again,” Jubeil noted.

(With Reuters)


Syrian government says it controls prison in Raqqa with Daesh-linked detainees

Updated 43 min 23 sec ago
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Syrian government says it controls prison in Raqqa with Daesh-linked detainees

  • Prison holds detainees linked to Daesh, and witnessed ⁠clashes in its vicinity between advancing Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters

Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Friday it had taken over Al-Aktan prison in the city of Raqqa ​in northeastern Syria, a facility that was formerly under the control of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The prison has been holding detainees linked to the militant group Daesh, and witnessed clashes in its vicinity this week between advancing Syrian government forces and the SDF.

It ‌was not ‌immediately clear how many ‌Daesh ⁠detainees ​remain in Al-Aktan ‌prison as the US military has started transferring up to 7,000 prisoners linked to the militant Islamist group from Syrian jails to neighboring Iraq. US officials say the detainees are citizens of many countries, including in Europe.

“Specialized teams were ⁠formed from the counter-terrorism department and other relevant authorities to ‌take over the tasks of guarding ‍and securing the prison ‍and controlling the security situation inside it,” ‍the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Under a sweeping integration deal agreed on Sunday, responsibility for prisons housing Daesh detainees was meant to be transferred to ​the Syrian government.

The SDF said on Monday it was battling Syrian government forces near ⁠Al-Aktan and that the seizure of the prison by the government forces “could have serious security repercussions that threaten stability and pave the way for a return to chaos and terrorism.”

The US transfer of Daesh prisoners follows the rapid collapse of Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria. Concerns over prison security intensified after the escape on Tuesday of roughly 200 low-level Daesh fighters from Syria’s ‌Shaddadi prison. Syrian government forces later recaptured many of them.