Mystery of the vanishing Saudi critic

Riyadh claims journalist left consulate – Turkey says he didn’t

ISTANBUL: Mystery surrounded the whereabouts of a prominent Saudi critic after Riyadh announced he had left their consulate in Istanbul – but Turkey and his fiancee said he had not been heard from since entering the building.

Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to the Washington Post, went to the Saudi consulate on Tuesday to receive an official document for his marriage.

His fiancee reported him missing after the journalist, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since last year to avoid possible arrest, was not seen to emerge.

The former government adviser, has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh’s intervention in the war in Yemen.

After an initial period of silence Saudi Arabia said the consulate was working with Turkish authorities “to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building” in a statement published yesterday by the state-run SPA news agency.

A senior Turkish official however said on Wednesday the journalist was being held at the consulate.

“According to information we have, this individual who is a Saudi national is still at the Istanbul consulate of Saudi Arabia,” presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Ankara. He said the Turkish foreign ministry and police were closely monitoring the case, adding that Ankara was in touch with Saudi officials.

Khashoggi’s Turkish fiancee has been waiting outside the consulate since Wednesday morning.

“I haven’t received any news from him since 1pm on Tuesday,” 36-year-old Hatice, who would not give her family name, said as she stood near barricades.

She said Khashoggi had left his mobile phone with her.

“We want to know his whereabouts. Where is Jamal?” she said.

“We want him to come out of the consulate safe and sound.” The US State Department said it was investigating the matter.

“We ... are very concerned about where he may be,” the Washington Post’s international opinions editor, Eli Lopez, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“It would be unfair and outrageous if he has been detained for his work as a journalist and commentator,” Lopez said.

Turan Kislakci, a friend of Khashoggi and head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, told AFP: “We are certain that Jamal is being held inside unless the consulate has a tunnel.”

Reporters Without Borders said Khashoggi’s disappearance was “extremely worrying,” calling on Saudi and Turkish authorities “to do everything to ensure that this journalist reappears – free – as soon as possible”. —