Bin Salman thaws relations with Turkey in first visit since Khashoggi murder

TURKEY and Saudi Arabia agreed to halt “negative” media coverage of each other yesterday as their leaders sought to draw a line under the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, in Ankara for the first time since Washington Post columnist Mr Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents.

The Crown Prince is suspected of ordering the killing, a charge that he vehemently denies, and the brazen murder severely harmed relations between the two countries.

Turkish officials said that the two countries agreed to lift restrictions on trade, flights and the screening of TV series, and also to end negative media coverage of each other.

Further agreements on energy and security are also due to be discussed in meetings in Turkey, as Prince Mohammed is brought back into the fold by

Middle East allies. It comes after Turkey agreed to halt its trial in absentia of Mr Khashoggi’s murder suspects and handed the case over to Riyadh, which already claims to have convicted the killers.

Prince Mohammed has been using Saudi Arabia’s oil capacity to restore ties with Middle Eastern and Western leaders, who were sickened by the murder in 2018. A report by the CIA had even concluded that the Crown Prince had personally ordered the killing. Riyadh denies the allegation.