EU council calls for clarity on Saudi journalist case

By Serife Cetin

BRUSSELS

European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday called for a "full investigation" into Saudi journalist case.

Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post newspaper, has long been feared killed at the consulate after he entered on Oct. 2 and was never seen exiting.

During a press conference after the Tripartite Social Summit held in Brussels, Tusk said he was "troubled" by the reports on Khashoggi being killed.

Indicating that societies will not be free without a free press, Tusk said violence against journalists "has to stop".

"This is why I call for a full investigation to establish what happened, and to hold those responsible to account," he said.

On Monday, Turkish and Saudi officials arrived at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after the start of a joint probe into the missing journalist.

Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of what happened to Khashoggi, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K. -- are pressing for the mystery to be cleared up as soon as possible.