Turkey will reveal the ‘naked truth’ over murder of Saudi journalist, President Erdogan vows – as Britain, France and Germany condemn his killing
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to reveal the truth over Jamal Khashoggi’s killing
- He told a rally on Sunday he’d make a new statement on the case next week
- Saudi authorities said Khashoggi was killed inside kingdom’s Istanbul consulate
- It came after a fortnight of denials insisting Khashoggi left the compound alive
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to reveal the ‘naked truth’ over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
‘We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth,’ Erdogan told a rally in Istanbul on Sunday.
He said he will announce details of the Turkish investigation into Khashoggi’s death on Tuesday.
Saudi authorities conceded on Saturday that Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist and a critic of the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed inside the kingdom’s Istanbul diplomatic compound.
Their admission came after a fortnight of denials with the insistence that the journalist left the consulate alive.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) has vowed to reveal the ‘naked truth’ over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Turkish officials have claimed they believe that 15 Saudi men who arrived in Istanbul on two flights on October 2 – the day when Khashoggi entered the consulate – were connected to his death.
Riyadh said it fired five top officials and arrested 18 other Saudis as a result of the initial investigation.
‘Why did those 15 men come here? Why were 18 people arrested?’ Erdogan asked in Istanbul.
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He said he would make a full statement on the case when he would address his ruling party MPs in parliament on Tuesday.
The Turkish leader has so far refrained from making strong statements about the death of Khashoggi, often referring to a prosecutors’ investigation into the killing.
Analysts see this as an attempt to avoid provoking a full rupture of relations with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities conceded on Saturday that Khashoggi (pictured) was killed inside the kingdom’s Istanbul diplomatic compound
‘We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth,’ Erdogan told a rally in Istanbul on Sunday
Erdogan’s remarks come as the Foreign Office on Sunday issued a joint statement from Britain, Germany and France condemning Khashoggi’s killing, saying there is an ‘urgent need for clarification of exactly what happened.’
In a statement, the governments said attacks on journalists are unacceptable and ‘of utmost concern to our three nations.’
They said the ‘hypotheses’ proposed so far in the Saudi investigation need to be backed by facts to be considered credible.
They stressed that more efforts are needed in order to establish the truth, and added that they reserve judgment until they receive further explanation.
‘The violent death of Jamal Khashoggi, within the premises of the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul had been feared for many days but its confirmation still comes as a shock,’ the statement said.
Turkish officials believe 15 Saudi men who arrived in Istanbul on two flights on October 2 – the day when Khashoggi (pictured) entered the consulate – were connected to his death
‘Nothing can justify this killing and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
‘Defending freedom of expression and a free press are key priorities for Germany, the United Kingdom and France.
‘The threatening, attacking or killing of journalists, under any circumstances, is unacceptable and of utmost concern to our three nations.’
It added: ‘Our thoughts are today with Mr Khashoggi’s family, his fiancée, and his friends – who have worried about him for weeks, and to whom we extend our most heartfelt condolences.’
It added: ‘We take note of the Saudi statement which gives their preliminary findings.
‘Yet there remains an urgent need for clarification of exactly what happened on October 2nd – beyond the hypotheses that have been raised so far in the Saudi investigation, which need to be backed by facts to be considered credible.
‘We thus stress that more efforts are needed and expected towards establishing the truth in a comprehensive, transparent and credible manner.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
‘We will ultimately make our judgement based on the credibility of the further explanation we receive about what happened and our confidence that such a shameful event cannot and will not ever be repeated.
‘We therefore ask for the investigation to be carried out thoroughly until responsibilities are clearly established and that there is proper accountability and due process for any crimes committed.’
‘We will stay in close contact with our Saudi partners in that regard.
‘The quality and significance of the relationship we have with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also rests with the respect we have for the norms and values to which the Saudi authorities and us are jointly committed under international law.’
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