Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said there is strong evidence the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was planned and that he was killed in a “savage way”.
Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, he asked why the journalist's body has still not been found and urged against a cover-up by calling on Saudi authorities to reveal those who planned to kill the writer, regardless of their rank.
Mr Erdogan said he does not doubt Saudi King Salman's sincerity without elaborating, while his speech did not mention Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler who US officials suspect ordered the killing.
He also demanded Saudi Arabia reveal the identity of a “local collaborator” who allegedly took Khashoggi's body from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and disposed of it.
“All evidence gathered shows that Jamal Khashoggi was the victim of a savage murder. To cover up such a savagery would hurt the human conscience,” Mr Erdogan said.
The Turkish president said diplomatic immunity could not be used as “armour” for the murder, and said that he wanted any and all suspects of the murder tried in Turkey.
“All those from the highest level to the lowest level will be highlighted, and will get the punishment they deserve,” Mr Erdogan said.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and outspoken critic of the crown prince, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate on 2 October to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage.
Riyadh initially denied the journalist had been killed inside the building, before finally recanting its story on Saturday and instead claiming he had died during a “fist-fight”.
However, Turkish officials believe Khashoggi was tortured at the consulate by a “hit squad”, who murdered him before dismembering his body and dumping it in a forest.
Mr Erdogan said the Saudis then used a “body double” as a decoy in a bid to cover their tracks, with a man dressed in Khashoggi's clothes caught in security camera footage walking out of the consulate after the journalist's death.
The release of the video coincides with reports by a pro-government Turkish newspaper that a member of the crown prince’s entourage made four calls to the royal's office from the consulate around the time of the killing.
Saudi authorities have so far arrested 18 people in connection with the death, while a senior security official and a close aide to the crown prince have also been dismissed.
However, critics of the regime allege this action has been taken in order to shield Prince Mohammed from any potential ramifications over the case.
The incident has seen widespread international condemnation, including a joint statement issued by the UK, France and Germany on Sunday demanding “credible facts” from Saudi officials over the killing.
Britain has said Mr Erdogan’s statement on Tuesday reiterated that many questions remain over Khashoggi’s killing.
“President Erdogan's statement this morning underscores the fact there remain questions which only the Saudis have the answers to,” prime minister Theresa May's spokesman said.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has also frozen Berlin's arms sales to the Gulf nation until the matter has been resolved.
President Donald Trump, who previously said he believed Riyadh’s version of events, going as far as to make the baseless claim Khashoggi was targeted by “rogue killers”, has now also said the US wants answers.
Meanwhile, many dignitaries have chosen to stay away from the Future Investment Initiative forum, a major trade conference Saudi Arabia is staging this week.
Additional reporting by agencies
