Pompeo to head to Turkey over Khashoggi, Brunson cases

U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Turkey to discuss the cases about a missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the just released U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson.

A statement issued by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Pompeo will travel to Ankara, Turkey on Oct. 17 to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu.

Pompeo will "welcome the decision to release Pastor Andrew Brunson and to discuss other issues of bilateral importance," the statement read.

It added that he "will also discuss the Jamal Khashoggi case and reiterate the U.S. offer to assist Turkey in its investigation."

The U.S. Department of State said earlier on Tuesday that Pompeo agreed with Saudi Arabia during his stay in the country on the importance of conducting a "thorough, transparent, and timely" investigation in the disappearance of Khashoggi.

U.S. President Donald Trump later said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had denied any knowledge of the disappearance of Khashoggi.

Trump tweeted that he "just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate."

"He was with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the call, and told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter," he said. "Answers will be forthcoming shortly."

The case of Khashoggi, a journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, has become a major source of tension between the Kingdom and the West.

Khashoggi has been missing since he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

Unconfirmed reports said that Khashoggi was likely killed inside the compound, a claim denied by Saudi officials as "baseless."

Turkey on Friday freed the long detained U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson. He later on the same day left Turkey for Germany and the United States. On Saturday, he arrived at the White House, where Trump met him.

His release has removed a major irritant in Ankara-Washington ties, as the United States has punished Turkey in August by imposing sanctions on two Turkish ministers and doubling tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Turkey.

Turkey then retaliated by raising tariffs on U.S. imports and boycotting U.S.-made electronics, sparking one of the worst diplomatic rows between the NATO allies.

However, Trump on Monday denied the possibility of relaxing sanctions against Turkey over the release of U.S. Brunson, saying "that was not part of the deal."

"We had no deal with Turkey. We don't make deal -- any deals for hostages or prisoners," he said.