UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY ALBANIAN FM
By Zuhal Demirci, Tevfik Durul, Furkan Naci Top
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday said the outcome of probe into disappearance of Saudi journalist Kamal Khashoggi will be shared with the world.
Cavusoglu, who is on a visit to Albania, was speaking at a joint press conference with his Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati.
Responding to a query, Cavusoglu said Turkey’s handing over of any audio recordings regarding Khashoggi’s disappearance to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or any other U.S. official “is out of question”.
Khashoggi has been missing since Oct. 2 when he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
On the same day of Khashoggi's disappearance, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.
On Wednesday, crime scene investigation units arrived at the official residence of Saudi Consul General Mohammad al-Otaibi around 4.40 p.m. local time (1340GMT). Al-Otaibi had left Turkey for Riyadh on Tuesday.
Officials from a joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case early Thursday after searching the residence as well as the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
The Turkish team concluded its search for evidence in nine hours and left but returned to the Saudi Consulate to continue searching the premises.
– FETO structure in Albania
Cavusoglu said Albania showed an example of “powerful solidarity” after the defeated July 15, 2016 military coup attempt orchestrated by FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
However, he stressed there is a “very serious” FETO structure in Albania and said Turkey expects extradition of the terror group’s members.
Speaking alongside his Turkish counterpart, Bushati said Albania was one of the first countries to express support to Turkey after the July 15 coup attempt.
Albania follows the international agreements on the extradition of criminals, he added.
“We are a party to international agreements on extradition of criminals. We follow this issue through diplomatic ways, not through press conferences, ” Bushati said.
Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
The terror group also runs a network of private schools in foreign countries.
– Strategic cooperation deal
Turkey and Albania agreed to establish a high level cooperation council, Bushati said.
“[Turkish] President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and [Albanian] Prime Minister Edi Rama will chair the council,” he added.
Bushati also said they would form a specific timetable for the improvement of economic relations.
“We decided to update our free trade agreement with new dimensions and to convene a mixed economic commission.
“We should double our trade volume. Albania will provide greater convenience for Turkish businesspeople who provide employment to 10,000 people and more, ” Bushati said.
