NBC News: Rift Between US Allies Turkey and Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has failed to produce video showing that Jamal Khashoggi left the Saudi embassy in Istanbul alive, and Turkey claims to hold evidence of a Saudi hit team murdering the journalist. Khashoggi’s s disappearance from what should be a safe place highlights blatant disregard for press freedoms and human rights. The incident is souring relations between the two nations that are both US allies. Saudi Arabia was already upset over Turkey’s ties with Iran and Qatar, and Turkey was upset by the US and Saudi response to the overthrow of Mohammed Morsi in Egypt, another US ally. “Khashoggi, previously a newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia and an adviser to its former head of intelligence, vanished inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week,” reports NBC News. “Turkey’s economic crisis and increasing diplomatic isolation means an all-out battle with Saudi Arabia and its rich Gulf allies could be painful.” The report notes that Turkey has also conducted operations to kidnap political opponents in countries like Kosovo and Ukraine. US Congress has called for an investigation though the president has expressed less alarm. – YaleGlobal