Erdogan: The Order to Kill Jamal Khashoggi Came from the Highest Officials in Saudi Arabia

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, stated in a note that the order to kill Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist, was given by the highest officials in Saudi Arabia. This note was published on Friday, November 2, in the Washington Post, emphasizing that there are still many questions that Saudi Arabia must answer. Among these questions raised by Mr. Erdogan is the whereabouts of Jamal Khashoggi's body and who issued the order for his murder. Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist opposed to the current rulers of Saudi Arabia, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last month to obtain documents related to his marriage but never exited on his own. Initially, Riyadh expressed ignorance about his fate, but later announced that the journalist was killed by 'rogue elements.' Western media and some politicians have pointed the finger at Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince, but Riyadh insists he had no role in this incident. Meanwhile, the Turkish President wrote that Ankara knows who committed the murder, who informed the perpetrators of the order, and that the order was issued by the highest officials of the Saudi government. Erdogan, however, emphasized the necessity of friendly relations between Ankara and Riyadh, stating that he has never even for a moment entertained the thought that King Salman of Saudi Arabia issued the order to kill Jamal Khashoggi, and therefore does not consider such an event to reflect the official policy of Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, the Turkish President wrote that friendly relations between Ankara and Riyadh do not mean that Turkey will turn a blind eye to this crime, but he is committed to revealing the identities of the main players in the story. Recently, Irfan Fidan, the Istanbul prosecutor, stated that Khashoggi was suffocated in a premeditated murder as soon as he entered the consulate and then his body was dismembered.