Censorship
Khashoggi killing: Turkish police ‘end search’ for killed journalist’s body, criminal investigation to continue
Turkish police have decided to end the search for killed dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi’s body but the criminal investigation will continue, Al Jazeera reported.
Saudi Arabia has admitted that the Saudi critic died in a premeditated murder inside its Istanbul consulate – after 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.
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Officially, Saudi officials have claimed to cooperate with Turkish authorities. However, as per the AJ report, they have not only refused to cooperate but possibly tamper with the investigation, by sending in chemical experts in the saudi counsel general’s home to destroy evidence.
Earlier, the Turkish investigation team had found traces of hydrofluoric acid and other chemicals inside a well at the Saudi consul general’s home in Istanbul. The killers dissolved the journalist’s dismembered body in acid in one of the rooms at Consul General Mohammed al-Otaibi’s residence.
The Saudi officials also denied Turkish requests to once again search the consul-general’s home, after Turks found samples of chemicals in the garden of the residence, the report said.
The report also cited an advisor to Turkish President, Erdogan having said that after Saudi top prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb left Istanbul, that the visit was a disappointment for the mutual investigation process.
“The agreement between the two sides to cooperate in the case raised expectations to shed light on the details of the killing of Khashoggi and who was behind it,” Aktay, who was also a friend of the journalist, said.
“But the Saudi officials seem like they have come to Istanbul to be able to obtain the information Turkey has on the murder, rather than mutual sharing of information on the case.”
