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Read: The U.S. loved the Saudi crown prince. Not anymore.

But while Saudi Arabia and Turkey often find themselves on opposite sides of regional conflicts, they are by no means outwardly hostile toward each other, even when their policy priorities collide, as with the blockade of Qatar or in the Khashoggi case. Erdogan is respectful of Saudi King Salmans status in the Muslim world, and Riyadh is aware of Turkeys military capabilities as well as its membership in NATO.

Thus far, the two countries have mostly refrained from publicly sniping during the Khashoggi investigation.

Erdogans remarks on Tuesday signaled something of a shift, amounting to a forceful, if implicit, criticism of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The Turkish president said the Khashoggi case had prompted several questions, including who had ordered 15 Saudis to come to Istanbul, why the Saudis issued so many inconsistent statements about the case, and why Khashoggis body was still missing. No one should think that this matter will be closed before all of these questions are answered, he said.

Read: How to respond to a diplomatic crisis

Still, he was careful to make conciliatory references to the king, acknowledging that the Saudi administration has taken a significant step by admitting to the murder, and adding, I do not doubt the sincerity of the Custodian of the Two Mosques.

Erdogan doesnt want to rupture [relations] with the Saudi king, Soner Cagaptay, who studies Turkey at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said. The Turkish leader has decided to separate the king from his son, targeting only the crown prince regarding the Khashoggi murder, he added.

Turkey realizes the young crown prince could be on the Saudi throne for decades to come. Prolonging the crisis could poison relations with the kingdom. (This is likely to be the message Gina Haspel, the CIA director, delivers when she visits Ankara on Tuesday.)

Erdogans speech was nevertheless a real effort to tarnish and weaken Mohammed bin Salman, said Steven Cook, an expert on Turkey and Saudi Arabia at the Council on Foreign Relations. Erdogan and the crown prince, Cook added, believe themselves to be two of the most important [leaders] in the Muslim world.

Erdogan wants to bring him down a notch or two, Cook said.

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Erdogan: Khashoggi Was Killed in a Planned Operation ...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to reveal the "naked truth" about the events leading up to journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death on Tuesday.

"I will make my statement about this issue on Tuesday at the party group meeting," Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul.

"We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth".

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia confirmed that the 59-year-old Saudi dissident died inside their consulate. They claimed Khashoggi died after a "fistfight" escalated, and fired 5 top officials and arrested 18 Saudis.

On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir reiterated the claims, and denied Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had any prior knowledge of what happened inside the Istanbul consulate on October 2.

Turkish officials are conducting their own investigation, and believe Khashoggi was brutally murdered and dismembered, possibly by a 15-person hit squad sent in to confront him at the consulate. Video and audio evidence purported to be from the day of Khashoggi's disappearance reportedly back up these claims.

Erdogan has largely remained silent on the matter, though he noted several inconsistencies in Saudi Arabia's version of the incident.

"Why 15 people came ... why 18 people were detained ... These things have to be told in detail," Erdogan said.

According to Al Jazeera, Erdogan's comments mark the first time a senior official has given an official end date to the ongoing investigations, which has seen conflicting narratives emerge from all sides.

Several members of Erdogan's ruling AK Party vowed on Saturday to reveal the truth about what happened to Khashoggi in his final moments.

Omer Celik, a spokesperson for AK Party, said Turkey was not "accusing anyone in advance, but we don't accept anything to remain covered."

AK Party deputy head Numan Kurtulmus, said Turkey "would not abstain from sharing with the world" its own evidence. He called the case "ugly, frightening, and inhumane" and promised not to "allow a cover-up" of what really happened.

The US, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are continuing their investigations into Khashoggi's death before Trump or the US Senate decide on whether to retaliate against Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, President Trump spoke to Erdogan on the phone and agreed that "all aspects" of the explanation into Jamal Khashoggi's death needed to be "cleared up."

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Turkish President Erdogan promises to reveal the 'naked truth ...

Aykan Erdemir, a former member of the Turkish parliament (2011-2015), is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. (He provided unpaid advice to the American Center for Law and Justice, a nonprofit organization that represents Andrew Brunsons family.) Merve Tahiroglu is a research associate at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

In a major reversal Friday, a Turkish court ordered the release of pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, an American evangelical missionary jailed in Turkey for the past two years. The pastors prosecution, based on farcical charges of espionage and conspiracy, had rattled Turkish American relations for the past year, triggering a diplomatic spatand prompting Washington to impose sanctions on Turkey this summer. As signaled by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week, Brunsons release is set to calm tensions between the two NATO allies. But that move is likely to prove premature.

The two-year saga of Brunsons case clearly illustrates Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans grip on his countrys justice system, and the direct power that he holds over Turkish court proceedings. Erdogan has used that power to pursue a policy of hostage diplomacy, using Western prisoners to extract concessions in exchange for their liberty. Although the United States should of course welcome Brunsons release, it should not offer Erdogan carte blanche for the Turkish strongmans blatant breach of international norms.

The ludicrous charges against Brunson frustrated international observers since the very beginning. The 62-page indictment, far from reflecting a serious investigation, offered a hodgepodge of Turkish conspiracy theories about the United States, Kurds and Mormons (even though Brunson is a Presbyterian minister). The document comically spun mundane details about the pastors life, including a culinary video and the colors of a scarf, to level allegations of espionage based on the feelings and hunches of secret witnesses. Indeed, during the court proceedings Friday, all four state witnesses retracted their testimonies, denying any knowledge of the pastors links to terrorism or espionage. Two of them even cited each other as the source of their initial accusations.

So what accounts for the sudden change of heart of the witnesses, prosecutors and judges after two years? The U-turn is the latest example of an alarming trend in Turkish diplomatic conduct: Erdogans apparent strategy of using imprisoned Western citizens as bargaining chips in diplomatic dealings with Turkeys NATO allies.

Brunsons case has been entangled in alleged negotiations between Erdogan and the White House since the pastor was incarcerated in late 2016. In July 2017, rumors began to circulate that Ankara was trying to swap Brunson for Reza Zarrab, a Turkish Iranian sanctions-evader detained in the United States pending trial. A swap deal never transpired, and Zarrab pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court later that year.

In September 2017, Erdogan confirmed his intention to use Brunson as a bargaining chip when he declared, give us our pastor and well give you yours, referring to the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan accuses of plotting Turkeys July 2016 coup attempt. Then, this July, in the lead-up to Brunsons third court hearing, President Trump acknowledged a deal he made with Erdogan for Brunsons release in exchange for getting Israel to free a Turkish detainee there. That deal also reportedly fell through after Ankara demanded further concessions namely, that Washington turn a blind eye to Turkeys former schemes to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran which the United States rejected.

The pastors release Friday also followed reports Thursday of a secret deal between the United States and Turkey.

If true, such a deal would be a grave mistake. Turkey reportedly jailed 20 Americans under Erdogans state of emergency after the failed coup of July 2016. At least two of them remain imprisoned or under house arrest. Meanwhile, three Turkish employees of the U.S. consulates in Istanbul and Adana remain in jail or on house arrest on spurious charges. Dozens of European nationalshave also been imprisoned under similar charges.

Any swap deals for these prisoners would only encourage Erdogans hostage-taking and additional sham trials in Turkey. Milking concessions out of Washington and European capitals is exactly what Erdogan wants out of this sinister scheme. The hostages themselves are well aware of the repercussions of appeasing Erdogan: German nationals Deniz Yucel and Mesale Tolu both publicly appealed to the German government not to make any deals with Ankara for their release. Washington should take note.

Erdogans hostage diplomacy is a result of Turkeys drift away from the transatlantic alliance and its values. But ending the hostage diplomacy requires only the strong resolve of Turkeys NATO allies.

Rather than treating Turkeys detentions and hostage-taking as isolated cases, the United States and its European partners must coordinate a transatlantic response. This will require a principled stance with clearly communicated incentives and disincentives. There must be an end to appeasement and individual swap deals.

Far from championing Erdogan for finally allowing an innocent pastor to walk free, the United States must refrain from normalizing the Turkish strongmans thuggery until all hostages are free. The ultimate goal for the transatlantic world must be to help their wayward ally return to the rules-bound international order. Only that scenario can end Erdogans hostage diplomacy and offer, perhaps, a glimmer of hope to Turkeys own imprisoned dissidents as well.

Read more:

The Posts View: Trump is right to push Turkey. Hes just doing it wrong.

Robert J. Samuelson:Will what happens in Turkey stay in Turkey?

The Posts View:Erdogans thugs still need to be brought to justice

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Pastor Andrew Brunson is free. The West still needs a policy ...

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Saudi Arabia has pledged to hold senior officials accountable if they are implicated in the disappearance and alleged killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.

"They made a commitment to hold anyone connected to any wrongdoing that may be found accountable for that, whether they are a senior officer or official," Pompeo told reporters before flying from Riyadh to Ankara where he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"They promised accountability," he said, adding that the Saudis were "determined to get to the bottom" of what happened.

Pompeo also would not be drawn on what the Saudi royals knew about Khashoggis whereabouts.

They want to have the opportunity to complete this investigation in a thorough way, he said, adding that he thought that was a reasonable request.

Then well all get to judge, he said.

The secretary of state was in Turkey Wednesday morning after traveling to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Salman and the country's presumptive leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Khashoggi vanished after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, and the sometimes lurid reports about his alleged death have dragged in the White House, thrown the Saudi establishment into crisis management mode and roiled Saudi Arabia's relations with Turkey, its regional rival.

Late Tuesday, Turkish officials revealed new information about members of the Saudi hit team they say traveled to Istanbul to kill the missing writer, providing NBC News with scans of the passports they allegedly used to enter the country. This followed revelations Monday that Saudi officials were discussing a plan to admit that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate but claim that the crown prince and top Saudi leadership werent aware or involved.

Turkish officials say they fear Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the consulate. But Saudi officials have called the allegations "baseless," and responded furiously to what it termed "threats" of economic or political pressure after President Donald Trump warned of "severe punishment" over the weekend.

In Turkey, the investigation was being held up by bureaucratic procedure. Ankara was still waiting on a joint agreement to search the Saudi consuls residence in Istanbul, according to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said talks with Pompeo had been beneficial and fruitful, adding that officials were hoping to enter the Saudi consuls residence on Wednesday.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Pompeo had welcomed Turkey's decision to return Andrew Brunson, an American pastor, in his meeting with Erdogan.

Pompeo left Ankara for Brussels around 12:30 p.m. local time (5:31 a.m. ET).

Cavusoglu on Tuesday said investigators would search the residence and consuls cars. But this was later called off because Saudi officials were unable to participate, Reuters quoted Turkish police as saying.

A Saudi delegation was seen arriving at the consul's residence at around 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET), according to The Associated Press. Turkish investigators then arrived some 50 minutes later.

Earlier this week, Turkish forensic teams searched the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, removing soil samples and bricks from the grounds, according to a Turkish individual familiar with the investigation. Erdogan told reporters Tuesday that the investigation was looking into many things "such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting over them."

Khashoggi, a longtime Saudi insider, last year left the kingdom amid a deepening crackdown on dissent and began writing pieces critical of the powerful crown prince for The Washington Post. His disappearance created a major diplomatic crisis for the kingdom, with mounting evidence that the Saudis were involved fueling a growing outcry from the international community.

Pompeo's conciliatory comments echoed those of Trump who criticized the global condemnation against the kingdom, and warned against a rush to judgment.

"Here we go again with, you know, you're guilty until proven innocent, he said, before comparing the situation to allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing.

While longstanding Saudi-U.S. ties grew strained under the administration of President Barack Obama, Trump and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and senior adviser, have embraced the king and crown prince as close and crucial partners in the administration's Middle East strategy. Trump went to Saudi Arabia in his first foreign trip as president.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., did not echo the president or Pompeo, however. On Tuesday he urged Trump to sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia.

Speaking on "Fox and Friends," Graham blasted the crown prince claiming, without evidence, that he had Khashoggi murdered.

The scans of passports obtained by NBC News from Turkish officials show the photo-and-bio pages of seven of the 15 Saudis who arrived in Istanbul ahead of Khashoggis disappearance.

The names and ages match those who were included on a list of the 15 Saudi suspects published last week by the Turkish pro-government newspaper Sabah.

As Pompeo met with Turkish officials, the foreign ministers of the G7 Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, U.K., U.S. along with the high representative of the European Union said they remained very troubled by Khashoggis disappearance.

Those bearing responsibility for his disappearance must be held to account, the statement read.

Continued here:
Pompeo meets Turkey's Erdogan, says Saudis 'promised ...

While US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was meeting with Saudi Arabia's leaders on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dropped a bombshell of a new twist in the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

According to Erdogan, Turkish investigators who searched the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul found surfaces there newly painted over.

Previous news reports have cited anonymous Turkish officials suggesting that a hit team of 15 Saudis killed and dismembered Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, inside the consulate.

"My hope is that we can reach conclusions that will give us a reasonable opinion as soon as possible, because the investigation is looking into many things such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting them over," Erdogan told reporters, according to the Turkish pro-Erdogan website Yeni Safak.

Turkish investigators acknowledged that searching the consulate 13 days after Khashoggi vanished wasn't ideal. As part of the search, they used a dog and took soil samples as well as a metal door from the garden, according to Reuters.

Hours before the investigators entered the consulate, multiple news outlets reported of, and cameras filmed, a cleaning crew wheeling in boxes and boxes of cleaning supplies.

Turkish officials have also been quoted saying they have audio recording Khashoggi being killed.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh. Reuters/Leah Millis/Pool

The New York Times on Monday reported that Saudi Arabia had begun preparing an alibi that would acknowledge Khashoggi had been killed. Publicly, Saudi Arabia so far has issued only denials in response to reports of Turkish claims that Khashoggi was murdered.

The Times cited sources as saying the Saudis were planning to say Khashoggi had been killed in an "interrogation gone wrong," done without the monarchy's knowledge.

After a phone call with Saudi King Salman on Monday, President Donald Trump suggested that "rogue killers" might be responsible for the disappearance, rather than the Saudi royalty.

Appearing to find the explanation a little too convenient, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who has access to US intelligence reports, tweeted he had already heard the Saudis would try to deny fault by blaming "rogue killers."

He accused Trump of having been enlisted as Saudi Arabia's "PR agent" to float the denial.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at an official welcoming ceremony in London on March 9. Bandar Algaloud / Saudi Kingdom Council / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In an interview that aired Sunday night, Trump threatened "severe punishment" if it turned out the Saudis did kill Khashoggi, who had been living in the US in self-imposed exile.

But he has also repeatedly backed off the idea of halting arms sales to Saudi Arabia and emphasized that Khashoggi is not a US citizen.

Still, Saudi Arabia responded harshly, saying it would retaliate and escalate the situation if it suffered any consequences from the Khashoggi case.

Harsh responses to any gentle criticism or genuine questions have become a hallmark of Saudi foreign policy under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto Saudi leader who is set to inherit the throne from his father, King Salman.

Saudi Arabia has found itself becoming isolated since Khashoggi vanished on its property in Istanbul, with business executives and companies increasingly distancing themselves from the kingdom.

"This is going to alter the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia for the foreseeable future," Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said on CNN, joining a growing chorus of senators who now want to investigate and who seem willing to sanction the kingdom over the boiling controversy.

On Tuesday, Pompeo landed in Riyadh to meet with King Salman to discuss Khashoggi's disappearance.

CNN reporters covering the meeting say it lasted no longer than 15 minutes.

While Trump and the Saudis appear on the same page about "rogue killers," Erdogan reminded observers on Tuesday that Turkey remained in control of the facts of the case as its investigators continued to uncover potentially damning information.

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Khashoggi case: Turkey's Erdogan says Saudi Consulate freshly ...