Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Gina Haspel is in Turkey to probe the death of Saudi figure and American resident Jamal Khashoggi, media reported.
Haspel was set to leave on Monday for her mission as part of a US government investigation into the fate of Khashoggi who Riyadh admitted was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October, NBC News said citing a senior US intelligence official.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was not satisfied with Saudi Arabia's explanation of Khashoggi's death three weeks ago in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.
Khashoggi, who was considered close to the Saudi royal family was a former newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia. He advised Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief, and has also been close to billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Middle East insiders say some deeper subplots played into Khashoggi’s death — ties to Saudi intelligence and his relationship with the Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman branded the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
Saudi Arabia said he was killed in a fistfight, but Turkish officials said the 59_year_old Washington Post columnist was attacked and killed by a 15_man Saudi team.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says he wants Saudi Arabia to allow 18 suspects that it detained for the journalist's killing to be tried in Turkish courts.
