Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 26
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkey has a lot of new facts regarding the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but, at the same time, Turkey considers it premature to make public all the obtained information, Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech in Ankara during a meeting with heads of municipalities Oct. 26.
Erdogan noted that Jamal Khashoggi's murder is not an ordinary crime.
The Turkish president also noted that 18 people are suspected of Khashoggi's murder and the Saudi authorities should investigate the case.
On October 29, the Prosecutor General of Saudi Arabia will arrive in Turkey to get acquainted with the case, Erdogan said.
On Oct. 2, Khashoggi, known for his criticism of the policy of Riyadh, disappeared when he visited the consulate general of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul, where he came to obtain documents for registration of marriage with a Turkish citizen. A few days later, the Turkish police launched an investigation into his disappearance.
On Oct. 20, the Saudi authorities reported that Khashoggi was killed as a result of a conflict in the consulate general.
The Attorney General of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Saud al-Muadjib said 18 nationals of the country are under investigation, whose identities have not been revealed.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the murderers of Khashoggi must be convicted in Turkey.
"Although Khashoggi was killed in the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia, the crime was committed in Turkey, which makes Ankara pay more attention to this," he said. “Considering that Khashoggi was brutally murdered, Saudi Arabia must do everything possible to find and punish the criminals."
The authorities of Saudi Arabia claim that the body of the killed reporter was handed over to someone in Turkey, Erdogan noted.
“If Saudi Arabia claims that the body of Khashoggi was handed over to someone, that person’s name should be revealed,” Erdogan said.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu