Saudi prosecutor to visit Istanbul over Khashoggi murder

Riyadh - He will land in Turkey on Sunday for further investigations.

Saudi Arabia's chief prosecutor will visit Istanbul to speak with Turkish authorities as part of the investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkey's president said Friday, adding that Ankara still has more evidence in the case.
The announcement by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came a day after the Saudi prosecutor said that, based on evidence supplied by Turkey, the murder appeared to have been premeditated - the first time Saudi authorities have made such an admission.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and critic of Saudi policies, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain paperwork for his marriage to his Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz.
"I demand that all those involved in this savagery from the highest to the lowest levels are punished and brought to justice," Cengiz told the Haberturk television station.
In a speech in Ankara, Erdogan said the Saudi prosecutor would arrive on Sunday and called on Riyadh to reveal who ordered the killing and the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body.
Before his death Khashoggi, 59, had been living in self-imposed exile in the United States since 2017.
A string of gruesome details about the murder have continued to appear in the Turkish media.
The kingdom has arrested 18 Saudi suspects over the case. Erdogan said that they must know who killed Khashoggi and repeated his call for the men to be tried in Turkey.
"The culprit is among them. If that is not the case, then who is the local conspirator? You have to tell," said Erdogan.
Erdogan, who has so far stopped short of directly blaming the Saudi government, said Turkey had already shared evidence with countries including Saudi Arabia and added that it had even more.
"It is not that we don't have any other information or documents. We do. Tomorrow is another day," he said.
Riyadh's admission that the murder appeared to be a premeditated killing marked the latest twist in the official narrative from Saudi authorities.
They had first insisted Khashoggi left the consulate unharmed, then said he was killed in an argument that degenerated into a brawl.
The explanations have met with growing incredulity from Western governments who say many questions remain.
Germany has said it will not approve further arms exports to Riyadh until the truth about the journalist's death is known, urging other European nations to follow suit.
However French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that stopping arms sales would be "pure demagoguery", as it "has nothing to do with Mr. Khashoggi. One shouldn't mix everything up".
On Thursday, CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest developments in the investigation after a fact-finding mission to Turkey.
Pro-government Turkish media said that intelligence officers showed Haspel video images and audio tapes of Khashoggi's killing gathered from the consulate.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler, denounced the "repulsive" murder this week.
Prince Mohammed spoke with Erdogan on the phone on Wednesday for the first time since the murder.
The crown prince has denied any involvement and the kingdom's leadership has pushed responsibility down the chain of command.
Khashoggi's eldest son Salah and his family left Saudi Arabia this week after the government lifted a travel ban, according to Human Rights Watch.
His departure came after he was photographed with Prince Mohammed during a condolence visit.
 

• Saudi Arabia