By Kaan Bozdogan, Etem Geylan and Murat Paksoy
ISTANBUL (AA) – Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, spoke to Habeturk TV and spoke about what she had been going through since Khashoggi's disappearance.
Cengiz said that the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called her following the U.S. President Donald Trump invited her to visit the country.
When asked if Khashoggi was an dissident author, Cengiz said: “I don't know how accurate it would be to evaluate Mr. Jamal's stance […] He had his own objective stance. There are points he backed and criticized. I'm talking about the new practices, reforms and the crown prince [Mohammad bin Salman]. He was watching the transforming structure with great concern and enthusiasm. ”
Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, was last seen entering the his country's consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to get documents related to his forthcoming marriage with Cengiz.
After days of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that the journalist had been killed inside the consulate.
Noting that they wanted to live in the U.S. and Turkey after their marriage, Cengiz said that Khashoggi loved Istanbul where he frequently visited. In addition, she pointed out that Khashoggi had previously met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and he had many friends in Turkey.
She went on to note that they first went to the Saudi Consulate on Sept. 28. Cengiz said both of them were nervous when they first went to the consulate, fearing of a possible interrogation.
However, contrary to their fear, Khashoggi left the diplomatic building happily as the consulate employees were nice to him, according to Cengiz.
Before their second visit to the consulate on Oct. 2, she noted that the Khashoggi told her to go to school, and he would go to the consulate alone.
“Although he said he would go alone, I had this feeling that I shouldn't let him do so, ” she said, adding that he was encouraged by the first visit to the consulate.
She said she was irritated as Khashoggi hadn't left the building and then frightened after learning that working hours of the consulate were over.
“Then, a Turkish official told me that everyone had left the building and there was no one inside, ” she said, adding that she felt the greatest fear of losing him at that time.
Cengiz said she handed Khashoggi's computer, phones and private belongings to the prosecutor 3-4 days following the incident. “The situation has both political and judicial and humanitarian aspects, ” she said.
She said she “died every day ” until Saudi Arabia made an official statement regarding Khashoggi’s murder.
“All government authorities, particularly Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were closely interested in the issue. They have supported me in this period, ” she said.
– Trump’s invitation
Calling Donald Trump's statements on the murder as “contradicting “, she said that she perceived Trump's statements as an attempt to gain public sympathy.
“In my article, I stated that I would go to the White House if they took a step towards solving the issue. A couple of days after Trump's invitation, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called me and I told him what I wanted to tell Donald Trump. ”
When asked whether she would go to the U.S., she responded: “I won't, at this stage.”
She applauded the Washington Post editor for keeping the issue on the newspaper’s agenda.
Cengiz expressed hope that all those involved in the crime were tried and punished.
Noting that Khashoggi had told his family and friends that he wanted to be buried near Medina, she said it wasn't appropriate to talk about this as the body was still missing.
Nonetheless, Cengiz said Khashoggi's will would be fulfilled if the body was found.
Cengiz several times broke into tears during the live interview.
Amid the ongoing furor over Khashoggi’s death, Saudi King Salman has sacked the deputy head of the Saudi intelligence agency — and a top aide — while also ordering the arrest of 18 suspects in the case.
Meanwhile, world leaders continue to urge the Saudi authorities to clarify the circumstances of the journalist’s killing.
Turkish police have been investigating the case, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said 18 people arrested in Saudi Arabia over the killing should be sent to Turkey to face the trial.
* Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this story from Ankara.
