Turkey: Khashoggi's Murder Was 'Planned in a Brutal Manner'

The spokesperson for Turkey's ruling party stated that the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul was 'planned in a brutal manner'; meanwhile, international reactions to Khashoggi's murder continue, and Turkish media reported the discovery of a vehicle belonging to the Saudi consulate in a neighborhood in Istanbul. According to AFP, Omer Celik, spokesperson for the 'Justice and Development' Party, told reporters on Monday, October 22, 'This incident was planned in a very brutal manner, and we have witnessed many efforts to cover it up and resolve it.' The spokesperson for Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party also denied reports of negotiations between Turkish and Saudi officials regarding Khashoggi's murder, calling such discussions 'unethical.' Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the current rulers of Saudi Arabia and a columnist for the Washington Post, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Saudi officials expressed ignorance about his fate for at least two weeks but later confirmed his 'death due to a dispute in the consulate' and then attributed his killing to 'rogue elements.' Turkish media has consistently reported that a 15-member team from Riyadh entered Istanbul and left Turkey with Khashoggi's dismembered body after killing him at the consulate. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on Sunday evening. According to the Turkish presidency, the leaders of the two countries emphasized that all aspects of Khashoggi's murder must be fully clarified. Erdogan stated just hours before this call that the details of Khashoggi's murder case would be made public in the Turkish parliament. Turkish media reported that a vehicle belonging to the Saudi consulate, abandoned for two weeks in the Sultan Ghazi neighborhood, was found on Monday, and police began searching for this vehicle. Turkish media and the American network CNN reported on Monday that several CCTV images from various locations revealed 'new evidence' in this case. The 'Haber' network, which is close to Erdogan's government, reported that a day after Khashoggi's entry into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, three men were seen burning documents in the consulate's backyard. CNN and another Turkish network also reported that hours after Khashoggi's arrival at the consulate, one of the 15 Saudi agents who had come to Istanbul was seen leaving the consulate wearing Khashoggi's clothes and heading to central Istanbul. Saudi officials have yet to respond to these reports. Meanwhile, Turkish media reported on Monday evening that a vehicle belonging to the Saudi consulate, abandoned for two weeks in 'Sultan Ghazi,' a neighborhood not far from the Saudi consulate, was found on Monday. However, it was reported shortly after that the Saudi consulate had not yet allowed Turkish police to search this vehicle, and this operation would likely take place on Tuesday. Turkish media also reported that CCTV images showed another consulate vehicle going to the location where the found vehicle was parked last Thursday, and a shipment was transferred from the trunk of one vehicle to another. According to the official Anadolu Agency, Turkish prosecutors on Monday interrogated five employees of the Saudi consulate as 'witnesses' and plan to interrogate 20 other witnesses, including Turkish citizens and foreign nationals, about the events of the day of the incident. International reactions continue. Jared Kushner, a senior White House advisor and Donald Trump's son-in-law, said in an interview with CNN on Monday regarding Khashoggi's murder that the U.S. government is still in the process of gathering evidence and documentation. Kushner, who has close ties with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, responded to the question of whether the U.S. would trust the results of Saudi investigations by saying: 'Saudi Arabia is an important ally of the United States. After we gather evidence from various sources, the Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor will help us decide on the validity of this evidence.' In Europe, political comments on Monday mainly focused on the issue of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who stated on Sunday that her country would not sell arms to Saudi Arabia until the Khashoggi murder case is clarified, reiterated this position in her remarks on Monday. However, Peter Altmaier, Germany's Minister of Economy, did not clarify whether current arms sales contracts with Riyadh would also be suspended, only saying that more consideration is needed on this matter. Altmaier, speaking to ZDF television, also emphasized that pressure could only be applied to Saudi Arabia if European countries united and had a unified stance regarding Khashoggi's murder. On the other hand, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian emphasized that the 'serious crime' of Khashoggi's murder must be thoroughly investigated from all aspects, and in response to the question of whether his country would join Germany in stopping arms sales to Saudi Arabia, he said: 'Any response is contingent upon clarifying the truth.' French President Emmanuel Macron had earlier spoken by phone with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, regarding Khashoggi's murder. In the UK, despite pressure from the opposition party, the conservative Prime Minister has yet to comment on the potential suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, strongly condemned Khashoggi's murder in Parliament on Monday, stating: 'The truth of the matter must be established.' However, May did not respond to a question from Jeremy Corbyn, the opposition leader, regarding halting arms sales to Saudi Arabia. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also told Parliament members that London needs to verify the 'accuracy of the final explanations from Saudi officials' before taking any necessary action. Despite some political figures, including several American senators, discussing the potential role of Mohammed bin Salman in Khashoggi's murder, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stated on Sunday in an interview with Fox News that bin Salman was unaware of the incident and that the murder was the work of 'rogue elements.' Official Saudi media reported on Friday that in connection with Khashoggi's death, 18 people have been arrested so far, and Ahmad al-Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani have also been dismissed from their positions. However, Saud al-Qahtani announced on Twitter on Monday that he has been appointed to another position and has accepted the presidency of the 'Saudi Federation Council for Cybersecurity, Planning, and Drones.'