'Erdoğan bows before Saudis who dismembered a person in our country'

Photos: AA

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Jeddah late yesterday (April 28) for an official visit.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received Erdoğan with a ceremony at a royal palace in the city.

The president had closed-door meetings at the palace with King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.

After the meetings, he shared several messages on his Twitter account, saying his visit marks a new era between the two countries.

"We paid a visit to Saudi Arabia upon the invitation of Hadimu'l Haremeyn," or "the Servant of Mecca and Medina," the two holy cities of Islam, Erdoğan said, referring to Salman.

"As two brotherly countries with historical, cultural and human ties, we are striving to increase all kinds of political, military and economic relations between us and to start a new era."

Jamal Khashoggi

The relations between Ankara and Riyadh have been strained over the past few years because of several issues, including the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in İstanbul.

The visit comes weeks after Turkey accepted to transfer the murder case Saudi Arabia in a move that drew international criticism.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), strongly criticized Erdoğan's visit at his party's parliamentary group meeting today.

"He makes innocent people receive life sentences and defends this in the airport. Then he gets off the plane and hugs the killers. He bows before those who dismembered a person in his country," Kılıçdaroğlu remarked. "This is what you are, Erdoğan. I'd say you should be ashamed, but that would be in vain."

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared after entering the Saudi Consulate General in İstanbul on October 2, 2018. The kingdom admitted on October 20 that he had been killed in the consulate, where he went to sort out paperwork to marry his fiancee.

A US intelligence report stated that the killing was approved by the Saudi crown prince and the two private planes that carried the assassination team belonged to a company that Muhammad bin Salman had seized.

After no progress in the case for years, Turkey's Ministry of Justice on April 7 allowed the transfer of the case to Saudi Arabia as per a request by the kingdom. (HA/VK)