Saudi crown prince visits Turkey as countries normalize ties

By SUZAN FRASER and AYSE WIETING
Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has arrived in Ankara, making his first visit to Turkey following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeted the prince at the gates of his presidential palace on Wednesday. Erdogan said their talks would focus on advancing Turkish-Saudi relations to a “much higher degree.” The rapprochement comes as Turkey faces its worst economic crisis in two decades and is trying to draw investments. The killing of Khashoggi strained Turkish-Saudi relations and put pressure on Prince Mohammed. A U.S. intelligence assessment said he approved an operation to kill or capture the journalist, which he has denied. Khashoggi’s fiancée criticized the prince being welcomed to Ankara.