Turkey warns Saudis against stalling probe

Istanbul, Turkey — Turkey’s foreign minister warned Saudi Arabia on Monday against prolonging an inquiry into Jamal Khashoggi’s slaying, urging the kingdom to accept its “very large” responsibility in investigating the writer’s death as the Saudi chief prosecutor arrived in Istanbul for talks.

Saud al-Mojeb, who is leading the Saudi government’s inquiry, met with his Turkish counterpart for the first time Monday, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The outcome of the talks was not immediately clear.

A team of 15 Saudi agents was involved in the killing of Khashoggi — a Washington Post contributing columnist — inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul this month, Turkish officials have concluded, calling it a premeditated crime.

Turkey, through a gradual release of information and public statements, has helped feed an international outcry over the case and pressured Saudi Arabia to concede its role.

Mojeb’s arrival in Istanbul was the latest step in a highstakes investigation that could implicate members of the Saudi leadership and potentially reshape the region’s politics.

Turkish investigators have reviewed thousands of hours of closed-circuit-television footage, taken forensic samples from the consulate grounds and released details of the passports of the 15 Saudis they say were involved.

Turkey also played a purported audio of the killing for CIA Director Gina Haspel last week.

“The responsibility of Saudi Arabia is very large here,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a news conference Monday, adding that Khashoggi’s remains have not been found.

“This cooperation must continue,” Cavusoglu said of the meeting between the two countries’ prosecutors.

But the investigation “should not be prolonged,” he said. “All the facts should be revealed.”