Turkish police has surrounded the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul following disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, prominent Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist, inside. Khashogg is thought to be in the building, Turkish sources have told Middle East Eye.
“Turkish authorities contacted their Saudi counterparts at around 9pm local time (7pm BST) on Tuesday evening, informing them that security forces had surrounded the consulate.”, said a source quoted by the Middle East Eye.
“I don’t know what [the Saudis] are going to do, but they know very well at the moment, he steps out, he will be safe,” said the source. “My expectation is that he may get some bad treatment, but they will release him.”
According to the Middle East Eye “Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancé who is a Turkish citizen, told MEE that he had been asked last week to return to the consulate to complete an application related to a family matter.
He entered the Saudi nationals section at around 1pm on Tuesday, and reportedly left his phone with Cengiz with instructions if he did not come back. She waited for him until the consulate closed at 3pm, but he had not come out by that time so she contacted the police.”
Khashoggi studied at Indiana State University and has been based in Washington DC since he fled Saudi Arabia in 2017. He was editor-in-chief of Saudi newspapers al-Arab and Watan. He served as the media advisor to Prince Turki al-Faisal while he was ambassador in London and Washington.
"I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice," he wrote in September 2017. "To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot."
