Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman both called Khashoggi’s son, Salah, to express their condolences, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Khashoggi entered the building on October 2 to obtain documentation certifying he had divorced his ex-wife. He was not seen since.
Saudi Arabia has said the Saudi critic died in a fight inside its Istanbul consulate – after two weeks of consistent denials that it had anything to do with his disappearance.
Khashoggi’s son thanked the king and the crown prince, the report said.
Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir also extended condolences to Khashoggi’s family.
“This is a terrible mistake. This is a terrible tragedy. Our condolences go out to them. We feel their pain,” Jubeir told US broacaster Fox. “Unfortunately, a huge and grave mistake was made and I assure them that those responsible will be held accountable for this.”
Some observers have speculated that MBS ordered the killing of Khashoggi but the Saudi leadership has denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump spoke on the telephone to discuss Khashoggi’s killing, Anadolu news agency reported.
“Erdogan and Trump agreed the Khashoggi case needs to be cleared up with all aspects,” it said.
Anadolu added the two leaders also discussed American pastor Andrew Brunson, cooperation in the fight against terrorism, and the roadmap on Syria’s Manbij.
Pertinently, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is all set to visit Saudi Arabia later this month despite the continuing turmoil following Khashoggi’s killing.
Last week, Mnuchin announced he would not attend a major economic conference in Riyadh after talks with President Trump about the assassination.
But speaking during a stop in Jerusalem, Mnuchin said the United States’ strategic and economic relationship with the Saudis was too important to be put in jeopardy over Khashoggi’s murder.
“We have an important relationship with Saudi, focused on combating terrorist financing and focused on our common interests of stopping Iran’s spread of both terrorism and other issues,” Mnuchin was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
“I am going to go there and meet with my counterparts and continue to focus on what’s in the treasury’s domain, as it relates to this issue.”
The three-day Future Investment Initiative, “Davos in the desert”, begins on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. Many corporate heavyweights and prominent politicians have pulled out over Khashoggi’s murder.
Earlier the count decrease from 150 to 120, organisers said following the developing story to Khashoggi’s disappearance.
