Khashoggi killing 'a wake-up call': Qatar

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi should act as a wake-up call, Qatar's foreign ministry said Monday in the rival Gulf state's first official response to the killing.

Spokeswoman Lolwah al-Khater said Qatar had faith in the Turkish probe into the death of Washington Post contributor Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been locked in a bitter diplomatic crisis since June 2017.

Since then Qatar has been cut off by Saudi Arabia and its allies, which accuse Doha of supporting terrorism and being too close to Riyadh's arch-rival Iran -- charges Qatar vehemently denies.

At Chatham House, the Royal Institute for International Affairs think-tank in London, Khater was asked about the state of relations between Doha and Riyadh in light of Khashoggi's death.

"I don't think anything has changed dramatically. We're just hoping that there is a wake-up call for everyone," she said.

"And of course, our condolences go to the family and friends of the journalist." Khater was speaking in a discussion entitled "Qatar's foreign policy: balancing new alliances in a contested region".

Asked what she thought Britain and other European countries should do in response, she added: "There was a joint statement that the UK, France and Germany issued and I think this statement, for the time being, summarises all the actions that everyone wants to see."
"We would like to see a transparent investigation," said Khater. "We have faith in the legal system in Turkey and I guess everyone is anxiously waiting to hear what is going to be announced tomorrow."