Pompeo to bring info on Khashoggi from Riyadh to Ankara: Turkish FM

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Tuesday said, "We have to solve this issue" regarding the investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, adding that his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo, who visited Riyadh on Tuesday would bring information from the Kingdom to Turkey.

Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of the Saudi crown prince, vanished after entering the consulate on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say they believe he was murdered there and his body removed, which the Saudis strongly deny.

"It's the responsibility of the Chief Prosecutors' Office to decide whom to interrogate or the questions to be asked... The prosecutors may ask for the testimony of [any Saudi officials at the consulate] if needed," he said, at a news conference following a meeting with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Kudret Özersay.

Çavuşoğlu underlined the importance of a "transparent and result-oriented" approach, adding: "The situation needs to be clarified so that nobody has any question marks in their mind."

He also said the Saudi consul general was free to go to his country if he wants.

"If any Saudi diplomat wants to go to their country, they can go. There is no restriction."

Turkish officials will extend their investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to include the residence of the Saudi consul and some vehicles, Çavuşoğlu said on Tuesday.

Turkish police entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul late on Monday for the first time since he vanished two weeks ago, searching the premises for nine hours.

He also said that Turkey had "not received a confession" from Saudi Arabia regarding the disappearance of Khashoggi.