Spies listened in as dissident was butchered
Turkey ‘knew Saudis were targeting Khashoggi and bugged consulate’
TURKISH spies knew Saudi Arabia was plotting against Jamal Khashoggi, weeks before he was killed, sources have told the Daily Mirror.
Intelligence chiefs launched a huge surveillance operation to track the hit squad sent by Riyadh.
The Saudi consulate in Istanbul was bugged, and spies listened in as Mr Khashoggi was killed and dismembered, it is claimed.
But sources say Turkey had believed the Saudi operatives were planning to kidnap Mr Khashoggi, not execute him at the consulate.
Intelligence services learned the journalist was allegedly targeted under the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in revenge for opposing his reign. The “Saudi 15” hit squad included a key member of his entourage.
A senior security source said: “Turkey launched a large-scale surveillance operation. Many in the intelligence community believe the consul was bugged, and this Saudi team was followed.
SURVEILLANCE
“The uncomfortable truth may emerge one day that the hit team was listened to live as they killed Khashoggi, but [Turkey] was powerless to do anything about it.”
Sources said authorities would have had little time to respond.
The Mirror revealed recently that Western intelligence agencies knew of Saudi plans to kidnap dissidents, echoing jihadi renditions by the US, Israel and Russia.
The source said: “Turkey was expecting a rendition attempt, which they could interdict, rescuing Khashoggi. Instead, they witnessed a murder and [used] it as leverage against the Saudis.”
Turkey claims it has taped proof of the murder. Thanks to its major intelligence operation, it is thought it has further information on Mr Khashoggi’s killing, which it is not admitting to.
Mr Khashoggi was murdered in the consulate on October 2. Afterwards, one of his suspected killers left the building in his clothes to make it appear he was still alive.
The search for Mr Khashoggi’s remains continued yesterday in the consulate garden, close to where some of his body is believed to have already been found.
Yesterday, bin Salman described the killing as a “heinous crime that cannot be justified”.
Speaking at an international conference in Riyadh, he said: “The incident is very painful. Justice in the end will appear.”
They were expecting a kidnapping that they could stop – not a killing SECURITY SOURCE ON TURKISH SURVEILLANCE