Khashoggi’s fiancee speaks out
RIYADH. - The fiancee of the killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi has said he was worried about visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for his fateful appointment, but told her he did not think the authorities would dare to interrogate or arrest him in a foreign country.
“His local network in Turkey was very good as you know, his political network as well,” Hatice Cengiz told the Turkish broadcaster Habertürk in an interview on Friday.
“He thought Turkey is a safe country and if he would be held or interrogated, this issue would be swiftly solved.”
The Washington Post columnist, who left Saudi Arabia for the US last year after growing fearful for his safety in his home country, was killed shortly after arriving on October 2 to pick up paperwork needed for the couple’s upcoming marriage. Cengiz, who waited outside until about 1am on the day after Khashoggi disappeared, said he had been treated well during an initial visit to the consulate the previous week.
Riyadh’s varied and changing explanations for what happened to the writer have been met with international outrage, sparking the biggest diplomatic crisis for the kingdom since the 9-11 terrorist attacks and throwing an unwelcome spotlight on the powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Cengiz, a Turkish academic who became engaged to Khashoggi four months ago, said she has “found myself in a darkness I cannot express,” since her fiance was killed.
She had asked US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who recently called her about the case, whether he had any news that would make her happy “but he said he didn’t”.
She has not received a condolence call from Saudi officials, Cengiz added.
Istanbul police said Cengiz had been placed under 24-hour police protection this week, without elaborating on the reasons why. Riyadh said for the first time on Thursday that the evidence in the criminal investigation pointed to a “premeditated” killing of the dissident journalist.
Previously, Saudi authorities had said that Khashoggi died during a fight with Saudi officials carrying out a rogue extradition operation, and that his body was rolled up in a rug and disposed of by an unidentified third party.