Accessibility links

Breaking News

Turkey Repeats Call for Full Saudi Cooperation in Khashoggi Probe


A vehicle with a diplomatic registration plate leaves from Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Oct. 31, 2018.
A vehicle with a diplomatic registration plate leaves from Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Oct. 31, 2018.

Turkey's justice minister again called on Saudi Arabia to fully cooperate in the investigation into last month's killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Abdulhamit Gul said Turkish chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan failed to get answers about the location of Khashoggi's body and who ordered his killing during three days of Turkish-Saudi investigative efforts in Istanbul.

"This issue has become a world matter," Gul told reporters Thursday in Ankara. "This case cannot be covered up, and we are expecting close cooperation from Saudi authorities on the investigation we are conducting transparently and meticulously."

After initially denying Khashoggi had been murdered, the Saudi government claimed he died in an unplanned "rogue operation."

Saudi Arabia's top prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb walks to board a plane to leave Turkey, in Istanbul, Oct, 31, 2018.
Saudi Arabia's top prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb walks to board a plane to leave Turkey, in Istanbul, Oct, 31, 2018.

Saudi public prosecutor Saud Al Mojeb offered a different explanation last week when he said the killing was premeditated.

Fidan also said after talks with Mojeb earlier this week the killing was premeditated, with Khashoggi being suffocated immediately after entering the consulate and his body dismembered before it was disposed of.

Turkey is trying to extradite 18 suspects detained in Saudi Arabia so they can be tried in a Turkish court. Among them are 15 members of an alleged "hit squad" Turkey claims was sent to Istanbul to kill the Washington Post columnist who had written critically of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

FILE - Photo released by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) shaking the hand of Salah Khashoggi, son of Jamal Khashoggi, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 23, 2018.
FILE - Photo released by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) shaking the hand of Salah Khashoggi, son of Jamal Khashoggi, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 23, 2018.

Some of the people suspected of being involved in the murder have close ties to the prince whose condemnation of the murder has failed to alleviate suspicions he was involved.

Khashoggi entered the consulate on October 2 to get a document he needed to marry his Turkish fiancee.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG