Saudi Prosecutor: Turkish Information Indicates Planned Murder of Khashoggi

Saudi officials have recently stated that the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was premeditated and carried out with "intent." Meanwhile, Turkey announced that it does not wish to refer this case to an international court. The Saudi Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Thursday, October 24, that the information provided by Turkish officials to the joint investigative team indicates that Khashoggi's murder was "intentional" and carried out with "prior intent." This is the first time that Saudi officials have referred to "intentional murder" and premeditation in this case. Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the current Saudi rulers, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate on October 2, and Saudi officials have since made contradictory statements. Initially, Saudi Arabia claimed ignorance about Khashoggi's fate, then reported his "death" due to a confrontation at the consulate, and later the Saudi Foreign Minister referred to Khashoggi's murder as being carried out by "rogue agents." The brief statement from the Saudi prosecutor emphasized the continuation of investigations without providing details. This statement comes two days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Khashoggi's murder was "premeditated." In his speech on Tuesday to members of Turkey's ruling party, Erdoğan also called for the identity of the "mastermind" behind this case to be revealed. Over the past three weeks, Turkish media have consistently attributed Khashoggi's murder to agents sent by Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi officials have denied these allegations, and Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, described Khashoggi's murder as "painful" and emphasized the need for "justice" in his first public comments on the matter. On the other hand, the Turkish government has reiterated its commitment to continuing the judicial process of this case within its territory. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated on Thursday that Turkey has no intention of referring this case to an international court but is willing to provide its information to any court that wishes to conduct separate investigations into the case. Çavuşoğlu, speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara with a Palestinian official, again emphasized the trial of suspects in this case "on Turkish soil." Saudi Arabia has faced international pressure in recent weeks, and U.S. President Donald Trump has recently adopted a harsher tone towards the Saudi rulers. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Trump stated that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia should effectively be held responsible for the Khashoggi case. The U.S. President emphasized in this interview that he wants to believe bin Salman's claim about the involvement of low-level officials in this murder case, but "the truth is that the Crown Prince is currently running the country. So if anyone is responsible, it is him." Saudi officials have yet to respond to Trump's statements.