Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has visited President Erdogan in Turkey. It is the first time bin Salman has set foot on Turkish soil since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He was murdered in 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city.
The crown prince was welcomed by the Turkish president at his palace in Ankara. The two countries want to renew their cool ties. In April, Erdogan already visited Saudi Arabia to normalize the relationship.
The normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia does not come at an unexpected time. As Turkey faces one of the worst economic crises in recent decades, it is trying to attract investors from the Gulf countries. A better relationship with Saudi Arabia should ensure that more foreign money comes in through, among other things, investment and tourism.
End of lawsuit
The Turkish Public Prosecutor’s Office dropped the trial against 26 suspects in the Khashoggi murder in April; the case was then transferred to Saudi Arabia. Human rights organizations are not confident that a fair trial will be reached there.
Saudi Arabia said it will kill eight people by 2020 has condemned with prison sentences. Who they were has never been disclosed.
Murder in consulate
Jamal Khashoggi has worked as a journalist for various international media outlets and as a columnist for The Washington Post. He was a well-known critic of the Saudi regime. In October 2018, he went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to collect divorce papers. Inside he was murdered; his body has never been found.
The murder sparked a wave of outrage and criticism internationally. Soon after the assassination, Erdogan said the Saudi government was responsible. US intelligence agencies reported last year in a report that the Crown Prince had ordered the murder, but Bin Salman has always denied involvement.
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