Turkish president says Khashoggi's "savage" murder "planned for days"
- 6 years ago
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said a prominent Saudi journalist died as a result of a brutal premeditated murder, urging Saudi Arabia to turn over the suspects for trial in Istanbul.
For more on this and other news around the world we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram… tell us more….
Well Mark… President Erdogan delivered a sharp rebuttal of Saudi Arabia's widely criticized account that Jamal Khashoggi died in a rogue operation.
He told ruling party lawmakers on Tuesday that Saudi officials had planned the killing for days.
"Some information gathered by our security and intelligence evidences, that are still being evaluated indicates already that the incident was certainly planned….."
He gave a detailed account of the suspects' whereabouts prior to and during the day of what he called Khashoggi's "savage" murder.
There were no bombshell revelations, but among some of the new details Erdogan revealed was an allegation that a team of Saudi agents went on a reconnaissance mission to a forest on the outskirts of Istanbul.
He didn't specifically say why the area was scouted, but there have been suggestions that Khashoggi's body may have been disposed of there.
Erdogan also claimed that security cameras at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul were disconnected hours before Khashoggi arrived for his appointment to obtain paperwork for his planned marriage.
The Turkish president stopped short of mentioning the Saudi crown prince ordered the killing, but called on him to extradite the suspects to Turkey to be tried in Istanbul.
Hours after Erdogan's speech, U.S. President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia's response to Khashoggi's murder was "the worst cover-up ever."
"........Somebody really messed up. And they had the worst cover-up ever. And where it should have stopped is at the deal standpoint, when they thought about it. Because whoever thought of that idea I think is in big trouble."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said the U.S. will punish those responsible and is revoking U.S. visas of 21 identified suspects.
For more on this and other news around the world we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram… tell us more….
Well Mark… President Erdogan delivered a sharp rebuttal of Saudi Arabia's widely criticized account that Jamal Khashoggi died in a rogue operation.
He told ruling party lawmakers on Tuesday that Saudi officials had planned the killing for days.
"Some information gathered by our security and intelligence evidences, that are still being evaluated indicates already that the incident was certainly planned….."
He gave a detailed account of the suspects' whereabouts prior to and during the day of what he called Khashoggi's "savage" murder.
There were no bombshell revelations, but among some of the new details Erdogan revealed was an allegation that a team of Saudi agents went on a reconnaissance mission to a forest on the outskirts of Istanbul.
He didn't specifically say why the area was scouted, but there have been suggestions that Khashoggi's body may have been disposed of there.
Erdogan also claimed that security cameras at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul were disconnected hours before Khashoggi arrived for his appointment to obtain paperwork for his planned marriage.
The Turkish president stopped short of mentioning the Saudi crown prince ordered the killing, but called on him to extradite the suspects to Turkey to be tried in Istanbul.
Hours after Erdogan's speech, U.S. President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia's response to Khashoggi's murder was "the worst cover-up ever."
"........Somebody really messed up. And they had the worst cover-up ever. And where it should have stopped is at the deal standpoint, when they thought about it. Because whoever thought of that idea I think is in big trouble."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said the U.S. will punish those responsible and is revoking U.S. visas of 21 identified suspects.