Saudi Arabia started planning journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder days before he disappeared inside its consulate in Istanbul, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday as he revealed details about investigation into Khashoggi's killing.
Erdogan said Turkey had amassed evidence that clearly showed that the The Washington Post columnist was killed in a premeditated and "savage" murder that involved at three separate teams of Saudi agents, including a military general.
Erdogan was speaking to parliament as part of his pledge to unveil the "naked truth" about a case that has shocked the world and raised suspicions that a Saudi hit squad planned Khashoggi’s killing after he walked into the consulate on Oct. 2, and then attempted to cover it up. Erdogan said Khashoggi was "ferociously murdered."
After initially denying any knowledge of Khashoggi's fate, Saudi Arabia claimed the U.S. resident died in a fistfight. Erdogan's address comes as skepticism intensified about the Saudi account, which critics allege is designed to absolve Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s heir-apparent, of any responsibility.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday that Ankara had not yet shared any of its evidence, including audio recordings of Khashoggi's slaying, with other countries. Cavusoglu said that Turkey was ready to cooperate in any possible probe into the Khashoggi case, either at the United Nations or in international courts.
In recent days, Turkish officials have leaked a series of macabre and bizarre details about how Khashoggi may have been murdered. These include allegations he was chopped up with a bone saw and that a Saudi operative impersonated Khashoggi on the day he died by dressing up in his clothes and wearing a fake beard.
Erdogan's speech also comes as an investment conference in Riyadh got underway. Dozens of high-profile executives and officials have abandoned the event amid the ongoing scandal. Separately, multiple media reports said CIA Director Gina Haspel has traveled to Turkey. It was not clear what the purpose of her trip is.
