Erdogan to visit Saudi Arabia after years of tension: report

Erdogan plans to travel to Saudi Arabia later this week after years of tensions with Saudi Arabia over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Middle East Eye reported, citing three informed sources.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the trip was scheduled for Thursday, but it may be postponed to another date later this month.

Earlier this month, Turkey decided to transfer the trial of the perpetrators of Khashoggi's murder to Saudi Arabia.

Jamal Khashoggi, columnist for The Washington Post, and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 by agents of the Saudi government, allegedly at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Khashoggi fled Saudi Arabia in September 2017 and went into self-imposed exile. On 2 October 2018, Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents related to his planned marriage but was never seen leaving. Amid news reports claiming that he had been killed and dismembered inside, an inspection of the consulate, by Saudi and Turkish officials, took place on 15 October. Initially, the Saudi government denied the death, but following shifting explanations for Khashoggi's death, Saudi Arabia's attorney general eventually stated that the murder was premeditated.

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