Turkey claims it shared tapes of Khashoggi in consulate

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday claimed Turkey has shared recordings linked to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi with Saudi Arabia, the US and other western countries.

“We gave the recordings, we gave them to Saudi Arabia, we gave them to Washington, to the Germans, to the French, to the English,” Mr Erdogan said.

For weeks he has claimed that Turkish authorities had audio recordings of what transpired after Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, the last time he was seen alive.

“They also listened to the conversations and they know,” Mr Erdogan in a televised speech.

Turkey has not said how it obtained the recordings.

Mr Erdogan said officials played the tapes for CIA director Gina Haspel when she visited Turkey late last month, but US officials have not commented on her briefing with President Donald Trump after her return to Washington.

Saudi Arabia has said Khashoggi was killed in an operation that was not authorised. Six Saudi officials have been dismissed over the killing and 18 people arrested.

Saudi chief prosecutor Mojeb Al Saud travelled to Turkey late last month to discuss the investigation but Mr Erdogan later accused Saudi authorities of refusing to answer questions.

He claimed that the Saudis would not say who ordered it, the whereabouts of Khashoggi’s body, and the identity of a “local collaborator” alleged to have helped dispose of it.

Yesterday, Mr Erdogan called on Saudi Arabia to rid itself of the “stain” by co-operating with Turkey over the investigation.

He claimed that a 15-member team sent to Istanbul knew who was behind the killing and the location of his remains.

Saudi Arabia has rejected Turkish requests to hand over the suspects arrested over the killing.