Turkey did not give anyone Khashoggi recording, says FM Çavuşoğlu

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Oct. 19 that Turkey did not give an audio recording reportedly proving the brutal execution of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to anyone.

“Turkey did not give anyone or any country the recording. It is out of question for Turkey to give any kind of audio tape to [U.S. Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo or any other U.S official. We have certain information and evidence [regarding Khashoggi’s disappearance],” Çavuşoğlu said, adding that Ankara will publicize all materials to the world after the investigation is concluded.

Daily Yeni Şafak on Oct. 17 published quotes from audio tapes in which Khashoggi’s alleged killers tortured him by cutting his fingers off before his decapitation.

ABC News, quoting a senior Turkish official, reported Oct. 18 that during his visit to Turkey this week U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heard this audio and was shown a transcript of the recording. But Pompeo denied the report.

“I’ve seen no tape. I’ve seen no -- or I’ve heard no tape. I’ve seen no transcript,” he told reporters during a trip to Latin America.

Khashoggi, a dissident living in self-imposed exile in the United States where he contributed to the Washington Post, vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

Turkish officials claim Khashoggi was tortured, killed and dismembered in the consulate by a hit squad which arrived from Riyadh — claims denied by the Saudi government.

Saudi Consul Mohammad al-Otaibi returned to Saudi Arabia on Oct. 16 before his residence in Istanbul was searched by police for more than eight hours on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18.

The consulate building was also searched for hours, as well as consular vehicles.