Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman reportedly called the son of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Sunday to express their condolences.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency confirmed the telephone exchange, saying Khashoggi’s son, Salah, spoke with the men separately.
The calls came just one day after Saudi Arabia revealed the alleged circumstances surrounding Khashoggi’s death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The Washington Post contributor allegedly was killed during a massive “fistfight” — which the kingdom finally acknowledged early Saturday. One of the people involved was said to be a member of Prince Salman’s royal entourage.
Saudi officials on Sunday referred to the incident as a “huge and grave mistake.”
“This is a terrible tragedy,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in a statement to Fox. “Our condolences go out to [Khashoggi’s family] … I assure them that those responsible will be held accountable for this.”
Jubeir claimed the people responsible for Khashoggi’s death had “tried to cover up for it.”
“This was an operation where individuals ended up exceeding the authorities and responsibilities they had,” he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he plans to release more information on what happened that day.
“I will make my statements about this issue on Tuesday,” he told reporters.
Turkey’s Anadolu agency said early Monday that Erdogan had spoken with President Donald Trump and they agreed to assess “all aspects” of the case before drawing a conclusion.
“I am not satisfied until we find the answer,” Trump said Saturday. “I want to get to the answer.”
With Post wires