Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he will expose the ‘naked truth’ about noted Saudi critic, Jamal Khashoggi’s killing today. His speech is expected to occur at 08:45 GMT.
Khashoggi entered the building on October 2 to obtain documentation certifying he had divorced his ex-wife. He was not seen since.
Saudi Arabia has said the Saudi critic died in a fight inside its Istanbul consulate – after two weeks of consistent denials that it had anything to do with his disappearance.
Turkish media have reported Khashoggi was killed and dismembered based on recordings from the consulate. They say he died at the hands of a 15-member assassination squad from Saudi Arabia.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Turkish investigators have carried out a “sensitive and comprehensive” investigation.
“The issue is not between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey is taking necessary steps to unveil the incident under international and national law,” Kalin said. “The issue is to shed light on an atrocious murder. The stance of our president is very clear since the beginning. Nothing will remain hidden regarding this incident.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump told USA Today in an interview that he believed Khashoggi’s death was “a plot gone awry”.
Calling the killing “foolish and stupid”, Trump said that after speaking with Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad Bin Salman over the phone, he was informed by him that neither the King nor he was involved in the murder.
If the Saudi leaders’ involvement was proven, “I would be very upset about it. We’ll have to see.”
Earlier the American president told reporters at the White House he’s “not satisfied with what I’ve heard” from the Saudis.
Separately, Saudi Arabia’s investment conference, ‘Davos in the Desert’ will kick off today amid mounting international criticism for being responsible for Khashoggi’s killing.
The criticism has led to A-list executives withdrawing from the event of whom are JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, HSBC CEO John Flint, Blackrock CEO Larry Fink, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, and the head of German industrial giant Siemens, Joe Kaeser.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde are also skipping the event.
