The fiancée of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is urging President Trump to make sure that the journalist’s death is not covered up.
Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish national, called out the US commander-in-chief as she spoke at a memorial for Khashoggi in London on Monday and insisted he “help reveal the truth and ensure justice be served.”
“He should not pave the way for a cover-up of my fiancé’s murder. Let’s not let money taint our conscience and compromise our values,” Cengiz said.
She also expressed her disappointment in the “leadership of many countries” following the Oct. 2 killing of Khashoggi.
Days earlier, Cengiz revealed in an interview with a Turkish news outlet that she rejected an invitation from Trump to visit the White House, saying at the time that she “perceived” the invite “as a statement to win public favor.”
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and critic of the Saudi regime, was killed by a squad of assassins when he went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for documents related to his upcoming marriage, with Cengiz waiting for him outside.
“If only I knew that would be the last time I would see my Jamal, his smile, hear his laughter, I would have stood in front of that murderous team myself,” Cengiz said Monday.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s top prosecutor arrived at Istanbul’s main courthouse Tuesday to meet with Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor, Irfan Fidan, regarding the investigation into the killing, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The two also met for an hour and 15 minutes Monday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday the probe into Khashoggi’s killing must be completed quickly.
“This needs to be solved now; there is no point in excuses,” Erdogan told reporters.
As she spoke Monday, Cengiz called Khashoggi a “martyr for a cause,” according to CNN.
“He is a martyr for the struggle for democracy and freedom in our part of the world. I want to bury the body of my beloved Jamal — my martyr — surrounded by the prayers of his friends and loved ones. I want to know: Where is his body?” she said, according to the news outlet.
“I believe that the Saudi regime knows where his body is … I want justice to be served. Not only for those who murdered my beloved Jamal, but for those who organized it and gave the order for it.”
The Turkish president has repeatedly called for Saudi Arabia to hand over the people responsible for Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudi consulate so that they can face trial in Turkey.
Saudi Arabia has said it has arrested 18 people in connection with Khashoggi’s killing, but Turkish officials have said a 15-member hit team was sent to Istanbul from Riyadh in private jets to kill Khashoggi.
Last week, Saudi Arabian officials said Khashoggi’s slaying was planned ahead of time, marking the latest reversal in the journalist’s death.
Saudi prosecutors previously said the 59-year-old writer died accidentally during a fistfight in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.
Khashoggi’s body has still not been found.
With Post wires
