Canadians confirm audio recording of Khashoggi’s killing
British foreign minister in Saudi Arabia for talks on Khashoggi
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has become the first Western leader to confirm Turkish claims that an audio recording of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder exists and has been passed to intelligence agencies.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during the weekend that he had given recordings “to Saudi Arabia, to America, to the Germans, the French, to the British, to all of them”, but initially there was no independent confirmation from any country that they had received it.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris, where he was attended a peace forum after the weekend’s armistice ceremonies, Trudeau said that Canadian intelligence had listened to the audio tape provided by Turkish intelligence, but he had not done so himself.
“Canada’s intelligence agencies have been working very closely on this issue with Turkish intelligence and Canada has been fully briefed on what Turkey had to share,” he said. “I had a conversation with Erdogan a couple of weeks ago, and here in Paris we had brief exchanges and I thanked him for his strength in responding to the Khashoggi situation.”
Canada is part of the so-called five eyes intelligence network which shares information along with the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
By contrast, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said recordings related to Khashoggi’s murder were not to his knowledge in France’s possession, directly contradicting Erdogan.
Asked on France 2 why the Turkish president had made the claim, Le Drian replied: “It means he has a political game to play in these circumstances. If the Turkish president has information to give to us, he must give it to us.”
His remarks were seized on by the Saudi press to imply that Erdogan was misleading the world about the extent of his knowledge of Khashoggi’s killing in an attempt to undermine the Saudi crown prince, Mohamed bin Salman.
Turkey rejected the French statements.
“Our intelligence shared information with them on October 24, including the voice recordings,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. “It is very impudent for them to accuse our president of playing political games.”
“What’s behind the remarks of the French foreign minister? I wonder if they are trying to cover up the murder,” he added.
Seeking to clarify Le Drian’s comments, a senior French diplomat later said that the minister never commented on intelligence shared between countries and that he was neither confirming nor denying that French officials having listened to recordings.
“What counts for us is to establish the complete truth ... whatever one may think of the recordings the entire truth can’t be based on the Turkish recordings. We are still waiting for elements from the Saudis,” the diplomat said.
The dispute between Ankara and Paris may hinge on Erdogan’s account that Turkey “gave” recordings to the other countries.
Turkish officials said instead that France had been allowed to hear a recording, and blamed France for the misunderstanding.
“If there is miscommunication between the French government’s various agencies, it is up to the French authorities – not
Turkey – to take care of that problem,” Erdogan’s communications director Fahrettin Altun said.
Steffen Seibert, the spokesman for the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was asked about the existence of a tape and said simply: “I can tell you that there has been an exchange of intelligence service information on that.” He declined to give any details. British sources have previously said they have been briefed on the contents of an alleged tape, but due to the sensitivity of intelligence exchanges, they have refused to elaborate.
Canada has taken a tough line on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record for months, provoking reprisals from Riyadh, including the withdrawal of investment.
The dispute over the tape is important as it concerns Erdogan’s credibility.
Erdoan has been pressing for
the West to demand Saudi Arabia hand over the alleged culprits behind the admitted killing.
He has also implied that Prince Mohamed was aware of the plot to kill Khashoggi and that it was not a rogue operation undertaken by Saudi intelligence without his knowledge or permission.
It is not known whether any tape implicates the crown prince or instead simply provides gruesome details of the murder.
Meanwhile, British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt held talks yesterday with Saudi King Salman, state media said, during a visit to press the kingdom over Khashoggi’s murder and the escalating Yemen war.
Hunt, who is also expected to meet Prince Mohamed, discussed the “latest developments in the region” with the 82-yearold monarch, the Saudi Press Agency said.
“The international community
remain united in horror and outrage at the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi one month ago,” Hunt said ahead of his trip, which includes a visit to the United Arab Emirates.
“It is clearly unacceptable that the full circumstances behind his murder still remain unclear.
“We encourage the Saudi authorities to co-operate fully with the Turkish investigation into his death, so that we deliver justice for his family and the watching world.”
Hunt, who is also seeking to build support for UN efforts to end the three-year conflict in Yemen, also met Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.
Britain, along with the United States, are major suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition backing the Yemen government in its fight against Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels.