By naming names, the Turks are putting pressure on the Saudis in the matter of the consulate

ANKARA, Turkey – A Turkish newspaper close to the government has published a list of 15 men who it said formed a strike squad of Saudi government agents suspected of killing and dismembering a prominent critic within from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Although Turkey did not publicly lay charges, two Turkish officials, under the pretext of anonymity, confirmed that the government considered these men as Saudi agents who had gone to Istanbul on the same day. last week in pursuit of dissident Jamal Khashoggi. Mr. Khashoggi has not been seen since he entered the consulate on October 2nd.

One of the men listed by the Sabah newspaper is an autopsy expert from the Saudi internal security agency, according to the two Turkish officials. Another appears to be a lieutenant of the Royal Saudi Air Force. The officials, citing confidential information, said all were working for the Saudi government.

Turkish officials said Khashoggi was killed at the consulate and his dismembered body was taken away – an allegation the Saudi government vehemently denied. Mr. Khashoggi, a former Saudi commentator, US resident and Washington Post editorialist, had become a prominent critic of the kingdom's rulers.

Saudi leaders, including Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself, said that Mr. Khashoggi had left the consulate freely, shortly after his arrival, and that they had no knowledge of his fate .

Turkish officials cited confidential information in support of their claim that Mr. Khashoggi died, but they refused to disclose this evidence.

In recent days, anonymous Turkish officials have leaked a steady stream of details about the alleged murder. They say they believe that the operation was ordered by the highest courts of the Saudi court partly because of its scale and complexity.

The leak of the list of 15 Saudis seems to be part of a Turkish government campaign to pressure the Saudi government to recognize the murder of Mr. Khashoggi and stir up greater indignation at the government. 39, internationally.

The Times found corroborating information regarding two of the men – the lieutenant and the autopsy expert – comparing the names and photographs of Sabah, the newspaper, with social media profiles and Saudi media reports.

In disclosing the names of each of the Saudis, Turkish officials added an increasingly detailed, albeit still incomplete, account of what happened to Mr. Khoshoggi.

Previous leaks included information on flights to 15 men entering and leaving Istanbul. According to reports, an unexpected day off would be given to the consulate employees the day Khoshoggi went to the consulate. And there were pictures of the security camera showing Mr. Khoshoggi entering the consulate.

The Saudis still have to produce video footage or other evidence to support their claim that Mr. Khashoggi left the building.

Turkish officials said without evidence that Mr. Khashoggi was killed within two hours after he entered the consulate and was dismembered with a bone saw provided for this purpose.

Although Turkish allegations about Khashoggi's killing have hitherto been largely based on confidential information, Western intelligence services generally regard their Turkish counterparts as reliable in domestic affairs.

"Turkish services are extremely competent, especially with respect to internal threats or incidents," said Thad Troy, senior executive of the Crumpton Group's business intelligence company and former CIA senior officer with Experience in Turkey.

"The Saudis would have been extremely naive to believe that they could get out of it," he said, noting that the intelligence services of the two countries had already had "close relations".

On Tuesday, Saudi officials began contacting Turkish counterparts for secret talks on solving the problem. The Saudis told Washington they thought they could resolve the issue, according to Turkish and US officials informed of the talks.

Turkish officials said they also hoped to avoid a confrontation with Saudi Arabia, another major regional power.

But name leaks and other information could make it more difficult for the two sides to save face – for example, thanks to a compromise in which the Saudis acknowledged Mr Khashoggi's murder, but blamed it on rogue actors.

If the 15 men actually killed Mr. Khashoggi on the order of the Saudi royal court, as well as indicated Turkish officials, the ease with which they seem to have been identified suggests that they did little to hide their tracks. And this suggests that they were careless or that they wanted their actions to be discovered – perhaps to intimidate others.

Sabah published photographs of the 15 Saudis. One seems to be Salah Muhammad al-Tubaigy, the head of forensic evidence and an autopsy expert at the Public Security Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior. A photo of a man entering the Ataturk airport and represented in Sabah appears to correspond to Mr. Tubaigy's shared online photos.

Another Saudi identified in Sabah, Meshal Saad al-Bostani, appears to be a lieutenant of the Saudi Air Force, born in 1987. A photo of a man at the airport seems match that of a Facebook profile of a man of the same name he said he studied at the University of Louisville.

It was unclear what immediate impact the revelations could have on ongoing discussions between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and possibly Washington on solutions to the dispute.

Saudi officials said they were willing to open the Istanbul consulate to police inspection. The Turkish authorities are reported to have been willing to call for forensic police teams to search for clues.

More than a week after Khashoggi's disappearance, however, Turkish officials have little hope of obtaining any new significant evidence. There were also conflicting reports Wednesday about when the promised inspection could take place.