Turkey president to reveal 'naked truth' about Khashoggi murder

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was set Tuesday to reveal what he called the "naked truth" about the murder in Saudi consulate of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

His speech is set to have major implications for the case and relations with Riyadh.

Just three hours before Erdogan is expected to deliver his speech to the ruling parties, a major Saudi forum opened under the heavy shadow of the murderers.

The murder of the Washington Post contributor has the international reputation of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman who has spearheaded a reform drive in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia only confirmed the death more than two weeks after the event.

The killing has alarmed even Saudi Arabia's Western staunchest allies.

US President Donald Trump said he was "not satisfied" with Riyadh's explanations.

To form royal family insider of the Saudi crown prince, Khashoggi, 59, disappeared after he entered the consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to collect a document for his upcoming marriage.

Reports in pro-government Turkish media have suggested he was slowly strangled in an operation by a 15 person assassination team. But these claims have been confirmed and the Khashoggi's remains have not been found.

In a sign of the significance of the speech, the Turkish presidency is unusually offering live feeds in English and Arabic translation as well as the original.

'Must never happen again'
The case has shone the spotlight on the crown prince, who was credited with having recourse to the command of the accused Khashoggi's murder-a claim Riyadh denies.

The timing of the controversy could not be worse for Prince Mohammed as the investment summit, dubbed "Davos in the desert", started in Riyadh, overshadowed by big name cancellations and Erdogan's threat of revelations.

Dozens of executives, including banks Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, ride-hailing app Uber and Western officials such as International Monetary Fund Chief Christine Lagarde have pulled out of the three-day Future Investment Initiative (FII).

French energy giant Patrick Pouyanne, however, said he would be waiting for the meeting, arguing that "empty flesh politics" do not advance human rights.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Berlin would not export arms to Riyadh "in the current situation," despite Germany's approval last month of 416 million euros ($ 480 million) worth of arms exports in 2018.

Despite also pulling out of the summit, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin puts the crown prince behind closed doors for bilateral talks in Riyadh. CIA Director Gina Haspel, meanwhile, headed for Turkey, was not immediately clear.

White House Advisor and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, believed to have been "fully transparent", stressing that "the world is watching."

Speaking in Jakarta, Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir vowed "a thorough and complete investigation". He said procedures would be in place to "ensure that something like this can never happen again."

Abandoned Saudi car
Omer Celik, spokesman of Erdogan's ruling party, said the killing "is planned in an extremely savage manner," and that "it has been a lot of effort to whitewash this."

With Khashoggi's remains still missing, Turkish police have found an abandoned city in the Sultangazi district of Istanbul, state media said.

CNN broadcast images apparently showing a Saudi official playing a double body for Khashoggi, wearing the newspaperist's clothes, exiting the consulate.

Some of the consulates employees who gave testimony to Turkish prosecutors said that they have been murdered, despite reports in local media, and they finished work at 1530 (1230 GMT).

The employees were also quoted as saying that they did not say that they would not be able to do so.

Erdogan has gone so far from Riyadh. Analysts say he preferred to authorize the leak of incriminating information to pro-government media to put pressure on the kingdom.

He has twice held talks with King Salman on the crisis. / ee

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