ERDOGAN: KHASHOGGI KILLING SAVAGE, PLANNED
Attempts to blame journo’s death on rogue operatives will not satisfy us, says Erdogan
TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said there are strong signs Jamal Khashoggi’s “savage” killing was planned and attempts to blame it on intelligence operatives — Riyadh has suggested it was a rogue operation — “will not satisfy us”.
In a speech to Parliament, Erdogan did not mention Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who some United States lawmakers suspect ordered the killing. But he said Turkey would not complete its investigation into Khashoggi’s death until all questions were answered.
“Intelligence and security institutions have evidence showing the murder was planned .... Pinning such a case on some security and intelligence members will not satisfy us or the international community.”
Erdogan said the whereabouts of Khashoggi’s body were still unknown and he demanded Saudi Arabia reveal the identity of a “local cooperator” who purportedly took the body.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the crown prince, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, disappeared three weeks ago after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents for his marriage. Turkish officials suspect Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the consulate by Saudi agents.
Turkish sources say authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting the killing of the 59-year-old. Erdogan made no reference to any audio recording.
Riyadh initially denied knowledge of Khashoggi’s fate before saying he was killed in a fight in the consulate. That version of events was greeted sceptically by several Western governments, straining relations with the world’s biggest oil exporter.
Erdogan said three operatives arrived in Istanbul the day before his killing on an apparent reconnaissance mission. The next day, 15 people went to the consulate.
“Why did these 15 people meet in Istanbul on the day of the murder? We are seeking answers to this. Who are these people receiving orders from?”
For Saudi Arabia’s allies, the question will be whether they believe Prince Mohammed, 33, who has painted himself as a reformer, has any culpability. King Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud, 82, has handed the day-to-day running of Saudi Arabia to the prince.