Skip to main content

Pompeo heads to Turkey as Saudis change Khashoggi tune

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is headed for Ankara, where he will likely brief Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his talks with Saudi leaders on the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greets Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir after arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool - RC1B676FE300

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to head to Turkey Wednesday following meetings with Saudi King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman Al Saud, in Riyadh, the Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement today. The ministry said he would be meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to discuss regional and international matters but did not elaborate. The full details of his program have not yet been disclosed and US Embassy staff in Ankara declined to comment on the visit.

Pompeo’s trip to Ankara comes amid fresh details of the alleged murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul Oct 2.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.