Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reveals details of Jamal Khashoggi’s killing

[dricia]

JAMAL Khashoggi’s cut-up and disfigured remains have been found in the garden of the Saudi consul general’s home in Istanbul, Sky News reported citing two sources.

Turkish officials did not confirm the report.

Sky News’ account contradicts the explanation from Saudi officials that the body was rolled up in a carpet and handed over to a local collaborator to dispose of the evidence, the UK news outlet reported.

The unconfirmed reports about the remains being found were “deeply disturbing,” British Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said.

“The location of Mr. Khashoggi’s body is just one of the questions we need answers to and as such we await the full results of the Turkish investigation,” he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told politicians in Ankara yesterday that Khashoggi’s body had not been found and demanded Saudi officials reveal its whereabouts.

Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi, the writer’s oldest son, wore a grim gaze as he clasped hands with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Yamama Palace in Riyadh as cameras rolled.

The subsequent photos provoked a strong reaction on social media, with commentators speculating on how tough it must have been for Khashoggi’s son to shake hands with the man accused of having a hand — if not ordering — his father’s murder.

In addition to the crown prince and Salah — who’s been kept in the country for the past year by a travel ban, a family friend told The Associated Press — the meeting was attended by Saudi King Salman, and Salah’s younger brother, Sahel.

The royals “expressed their sincere condolences to the family of Jamal Khashoggi — may God have mercy on him,” CNN reported, citing the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

The report from the Saudi agency claimed that the writer’s sons thanked the king and crown prince for their well-wishes.

The huddle comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly accused Saudi officials of premeditating Khashoggi’s “political murder” days before the slaying inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

POISONED RUSSIAN SPY’S WIDOW SAYS DEATH IS ‘WAKE-UP CALL’
The widow of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died from radioactive poisoning in 2006, says the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi should be a wake-up call about the deadly behavior of authoritarian states.

Marina Litvinenko says her husband’s murder may have led some governments to think “it’s just so easy to kill people” without provoking a strong response. Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian agent turned Kremlin critic, died in November 2006 after drinking tea laced with polonium-210 at a London hotel. Britain says he was murdered by Russian intelligence, likely with the approval of President Vladimir Putin.

Marina Litvinenko said the death of Khashoggi and the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal in England were evidence that her husband’s death had not deterred governments from seeking to silence their critics.

She said “it’s very important to react (to) any kind of behavior and crime. Because if you will make nothing happen today, you will just be not sure what might happen tomorrow.”

G7 COUNTRIES WANT ANSWERS
Foreign ministers from the G7 group of industrialised nations say the explanations offered for the killing of Khashoggi leave many questions unanswered and those responsible for the death must be held to account.

A joint statement from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with the European Union, condemned Khashoggi’s slaying in the “strongest possible terms.”

They called Saudi Arabia’s confirmation of the writer’s death inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul a first step toward full transparency and accountability. The statement issued on Tuesday reiterated the need for a thorough, credible and prompt investigation done with the full collaboration of Turkish authorities.

The G7 ministers say Khashoggi’s killing demonstrates the need to project journalists and to reaffirm the right to free expression.

TURKEY PROMISES TO ‘SHED LIGHT’ ON MURDER
It comes as Turkish officials said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised family members of the slain writer that Turkey would do all it can “to shed light on the murder.”

The officials said Mr Erdogan on Tuesday called Khashoggi’s son, Abdullah, to express his condolences, and also spoke with other members of his family. Erdogan told family members that he was “deeply saddened” by his death and that Turkey would follow up the incident. The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Saudi Arabia has said the journalist, a critic of the Saudi royal family, was killed in a fistfight.

Mr Erdogan said earlier on Tuesday that he was the victim of a “savage murder” that was planned days ahead.

The Turkish President on Tuesday delivered a speech to Parliament on the death of Khashoggi after earlier saying he would reveal the “naked truth” about the killing.

He said the evidence collected so far shows Mr Khashoggi was murdered in “a ferocious manner”.

“To try and hide it would be an insult to humanity,” Mr Erdogan told Parliament.

“Let’s not forget that this building is within the borders of the Republic of Turkey,” the President said.

In his speech to Parliament, Mr Erdogan did not mention Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who some US politicians suspect ordered the killing.

But he said Turkey would not complete its investigation into Mr Khashoggi’s death until all questions were answered.

“Intelligence and security institutions have evidence showing the murder was planned. Pinning such a case on some security and intelligence members will not satisfy us or the international community,” he said.

“From the person who gave the order, to the person who carried it out, they must all be brought to account.”

Mr Erdogan dismissed attempts by Saudi Arabia to blame Jamal Khashoggi’s “savage” killing on rogue operatives, saying the person who ordered the death of the Saudi journalist must “be brought to account”.

Mr Erdogan said the whereabouts of Mr Khashoggi’s body were still unknown and he demanded Saudi Arabia reveal the identity of a “local cooperator” who purportedly took the body.

PENCE PROMISES US ‘RESPONSE’
Meanwhile, US Vice President Mike Pence says the death of the Saudi writer “will not go without an American response.”

Mr Pence said CIA Director Gina Haspel is in Turkey reviewing the facts of what Mr Pence called a “brutal murder.” He offered condolences to Khashoggi’s family.

Speaking on Tuesday in Washington at an event hosted by The Washington Post, Mr Pence would not elaborate on what a possible US response would be.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, lived in Virginia.

So far the Trump administration has taken careful steps toward punishing the Saudis by moving to revoke the visas of the suspects.

Asked if the US would sanction members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family if they were found to have been complicit, Mr Pence said that was a decision for Donald Trump.

He said Mr Trump would make a decision that reflects the values and national security interests of the nation and would “make sure the world knows the truth.”

The kingdom has given multiple conflicting accounts of what happened to the journalist inside the consulate.

“This was an operation that was a rogue operation. This was an operation where individuals ended up exceeding the authorities and responsibilities they had,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said.

Speaking with Fox News, he insisted the killing was not ordered by the crown prince (MBS) and he also declared: “We don’t know where the body is”.

AUSTRALIA BOYCOTTS SAUDI FORUM
On Monday, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he expected the Saudis to co-operate with Turkey on the case.

“Australia will stand with all other like-minded countries in condemning this death, this killing and we expect there to be full co-operation,” he said.

“We expect the truth to be determined through that process and those responsible to be held accountable.”

Australia has also opted to boycott next week’s Future Investment Initiative forum in Saudi Arabia, in response to the killing.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said the “government has sent a strong signal” to the kingdom.