Khashoggi’s fiancee rejects White House invitation as Turkey tries to extradite killers

THE fiancée of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi has turned down an invitation to the White House as she feared it was a publicity stunt, and accused Donald Trump of being insincere in offering his help in the case.

In her first television interview since Mr Khashoggi’s disappearance, Hatice Cengiz said: “Trump invited me to the United States but I perceived it as a statement to win public favour.”

Recounting the events leading up to the visit to the Saudi Arabian consulate on Oct 2, Ms Cengiz said Mr Khashoggi had been concerned about going but felt Turkey was “a powerful country” and that Saudi Arabia would not dare to do anything against him on Turkish soil. “We thought we would set the date of the wedding after dinner,” she told Haberturk TV. “This was part of the dream.” Mr Khashoggi left Ms Cengiz outside the consulate in Istanbul with his mobile phones when he went in to get a divorce certificate to prove that his previous marriage was over. She raised the alarm after he failed to emerge.

Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, yesterday criticised Saudi Arabia’s “childish” explanations for Mr Khashoggi’s death as he demanded to know where the journalist’s body was hidden.

Saudi Arabia initially said he walked out of the consulate safely, then said he was killed accidentally in a fight, before announcing that Saudi operatives had a “premeditated” plan to kill him.

“These childish explanations are not compatible with the seriousness of a state,” Mr Erdoğan said.

Turkey’s justice ministry said yesterday it had prepared a formal extradition request for the 18 Saudis arrested in connection with Mr Khashoggi’s death. Saudi Arabia has said they will be tried on home ground.

The Saudi chief prosecutor is due in Turkey tomorrow to meet officials.

Meanwhile Emmanuel Macron, the French president, dismissed calls for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia as “demagoguery”.

“What’s the link between arms sales and Mr Khashoggi’s murder?” he asked. France, like Britain, is a major supplier of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

‘Trump invited me to the United States but I perceived it as a statement to win public favour’