‘Appalling’ audio recording of Khashoggi murder shocked Saudi officer, says Erdogan

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN, the Turkish president, described an audio recording of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder as “appalling” and said it shocked a Saudi intelligence officer who listened to it.

Mr Erdoğan added that orders for the killing, which took place in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate on Oct 2, came from the highest levels of the Kingdom.

The New York Times reported yesterday that in the recording, one of the team responsible for killing Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist, can be heard instructing a superior to “tell your boss” after the murder takes place – a suspected reference to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Sources also told the paper that

‘He was so shocked he said: “This one must take heroin. Only someone who takes heroin would do this”’

words to the effect of “the deed is done” were used.

Mr Erdoğan said: “The recording is really appalling. Indeed when the Saudi intelligence officer listened to the recording he was so shocked he said: ‘This one must have taken heroin, only someone who takes heroin would do this’.”

However, John Bolton, a US National Security Advisor, said the tape – which Turkey says has been shared with the US, UK, France and others – does not implicate the Crown Prince. Bolton added that he had not heard it himself.

But speaking to reporters in Singapore, Mr Bolton was asked whether it was correct to say the crown prince was not implicated in the recording.

“I haven’t listened to the tape myself, but in the assessment of those who have listened to it, that’s right,” he said.

Turkish authorities, including Mr Erdoğan, have been careful to say they do not suspect Saudi’s King Salman of any involvement in Khashoggi’s death but have noticeably avoided saying the same of his son, the crown prince.

Mr Bolton added that Donald Trump, the US president, expected a full investigation from Riyadh.

Mr Trump initially embraced Mohammed bin Salman as a crucial partner in the Middle East, but the killing of Mr Khashoggi has strained the relationship.