Khashoggi Murdered, Cut into Pieces

Local Editor

Not only was he murdered but also cut into pieces.

A Turkish official revealed in remarks to CNN Tuesday that the body of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was reportedly cut into pieces after he was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Just hours before, the Associated Press citing a high-level Turkish official reported that police had identified "certain evidence" during their hours-long search of the consulate suggesting that the journalist was in fact killed there.

No further evidence was provided by the official who was unauthorized to speak publicly.

Turkish police, prosecutors and anti-terror experts searched the Saudi embassy premises on Monday after Riyadh gave the green-light amid global uproar over Khashoggi's disappearance since October 2.

The same team were due to search the residence of al-Otaibi later on Tuesday.

Following the search, US President Donald Trump tweeted: "just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate."

He "told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly."

Earlier in the day the Saudi Arabia's consul to Istanbul left the Turkish city bound for Riyadh on a scheduled flight.

Consul general Mohammed al-Otaibi took off for Riyadh on a 1400 GMT flight from Istanbul, the Haber-Turk newspaper reported on its website. The state-run Anadolu news agency also reported he had left Turkey.

The website of Ataturk International Airport showed a flight of flag-carrier Saudia took off for Riyadh at 1400 GMT and other Turkish media reports indicated he had taken this flight.

"We did not send him out. He left Turkey of his own accord," CNN-Turk cited a Turkish foreign ministry source as saying. The consul used the VIP exit at the airport, Haber-Turk said.

The search comes as some US media said Saudi Arabia is preparing a report that admits Khashogghi died during an interrogation operation that went awry.

The kingdom has until now insisted the journalist left the consulate safely and initially dispelled the accusations as "baseless."

Also on Tuesday, US top diplomat Mike Pompeo met with Saudi King Salman and the crown prince in a bid to defuse the crisis.

"We are strong and old allies. We face our challenges together," the crown prince said as he warmly welcomed Pompeo at the palace. The two men were also due to have dinner together later Tuesday.

"The secretary and the foreign minister agreed on the importance of a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said later.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team