A Turkish prosecutor says Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed by strangulation immediately after entering Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul before his body was ‘cut into pieces.’
The statement by chief Istanbul prosecutor Ifran Fidan comes as Turkey pressures Saudi Arabia to extradite the 18 people detained it for their role in the killing of Khashoggi. His October 2 disappearance at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul created an international firestorm of controversy threatening the already complicated relations between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the U.S.
Turkey has steadily ramped up pressure on Saudi Arabia to provide answers amid its shifting official explanations on Khashoggi’s fate. Weeks after the fact, Riyadh admitted that the journalist had been killed in the consulate by a team of 15 Saudi agents. Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Riyadh to reveal who ordered Khashoggi killed.
Turkish officials, including Erdogan, have repeatedly complained that Saudi Arabia has obstructed the investigation by refusing to reveal key pieces of evidence like the location of Khashoggi’s body.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often criticized by Khashoggi in his Washington Post columns, had hailed the “unique” cooperation between the two countries only days before.
International backlash to the suspected assassination has been swift and severe. Germany has suspended export licenses to the kingdom, while U.S. President Donald Trump has been backed into a corner over his support for a country that is key to U.S. strategies in the Middle East.
Trump has called Khashoggi's disappearance and death "one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups," but has also said the U.S. should not be too critical of the regime because of a pending multi-billion dollar arms deal with Riyadh.
Khashoggi had gone into the Saudi consulate in the Turkish capital on October 2 to obtain paperwork he needed for his planned marriage to Turkish national Hatice Cengiz -- who waited for him outside the consulate -- but was never seen again.
Saudi Arabia has arrested 18 officials in connection with the plot to kill Khashoggi, while U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has revoked the visas of Saudi officials believed to have taken part in the killing.
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