Turkey Planning Int’l Investigation into Khashoggi Case

Local Editor

Turkey is planning to launch an international investigation into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and will take further steps in the coming days, according to Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Khashoggi, a royal insider who turned a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and began writing for the Washington Post after moving to the United States, was killed in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate on Oct. 2.

After making numerous contradictory statements about Khashoggi’s fate, Riyadh said he had been killed and his body dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed.

Earlier, Turkey said it was working with other countries on the Khashoggi investigation, and accused Saudi Arabia of not fully cooperating to uncover the journalist’s killing.

Cavusoglu said in a speech that some Western countries were trying to cover up Khashoggi’s murder, adding that Turkey had made preparations to launch an international investigation on the matter, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.

“There are Western countries trying to cover this case up. I know the reasons. We know and see what sorts of deals are made. We see how those who spoke of freedom of press are now covering this up after seeing money,” he was quoted as saying.

“We, however, will go until the end. We made preparations for an international investigation in the coming days and we will take the necessary steps,” he was cited as saying.

Despite a joint investigation with Saudi officials looking at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the consul’s residence and several other locations, the whereabouts of Khashoggi’s remains are still unknown.

Commenting on the incident, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Khashoggi’s killing was ordered by the highest level of Saudi leadership, but Riyadh rejected accusations that the prince was involved.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team