Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH - Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on Sunday rejected demands to extradite suspects connected to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as sought by the Turkish authorities for their trial in that country.

“We do not extradite our citizens,” Jubeir told a joint press conference with GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani at the end of the summit of the Gulf leaders in Riyadh on Sunday evening.

“The Turkish authorities have not been as forthcoming as we believe they should have been,” said Jubeir, saying Riyadh was presented with information that had already been leaked to the media.

“We have asked our friends in Turkey to provide us with evidence that we can use in a court of law. We have not received it in the manner that it should have been received,” he said.

Al-Jubeir said that the Turkish government has shown no cooperation and credibility with regard to possible evidence to be used in the course of the investigation.

“Saudi Arabia expressed its keenness to deliver justice in this regard by sending a Saudi delegation to coordinate and cooperate with the Turkish government in order to find out the truth. However, the Turkish government did not provide accurate and truthful information so far as it is keen to leak uncertain information to the media, which led the Kingdom to investigate the case through the local judiciary, which is transparent in disclosing the outcome of its investigation,” he added.

On Qatari crisis, the foreign minister said that the Gulf states are one family and any disagreement is resolved within the Gulf house. “Any disagreement that occurs between them is normal. It may occur within the same family, and it remains a simple matter that will not be difficult to resolve,” he said while noting that the stance towards Qatar came to push it to change its policies.

“Our brothers in Qatar know what is required of them to return as an active member of the council. The members of GCC are keen that the crisis with Qatar will have no impact on the Council,” Jubeir said.

Al-Jubeir clarified that differences with brothers in Qatar are not like what some people imagine, but the fact is that some Qatari policies have harmed the GCC in general. “This is contrary to the joint working mechanism that our countries in the Gulf region have adopted permanently at regional or international levels on the cultural, economic, security and political domains,” he added.