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ISTANBUL – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey had uncovered new evidence in the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, urging Saudi Arabia to reveal who was giving orders and asking its leaders to explain what was arrived at Mr. Khashoggi's body.
"There is more information," Erdogan said at a rally in the capital, Ankara, for officials of his Justice and Development party, where he suggested make more evidence public in the future. "But above all, who gave the order?"
Hatice Cengiz, Mr. Khashoggi's Turkish fiancé, said Friday in a television interview that he had been relaxed and hopeful when he had entered the Saudi Arabian consulate. in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain a document allowing him to get married. He was killed inside the consulate by a team of men from Saudi Arabia.
In a moving interview that lasted more than an hour – her first television interview since her death – Ms. Cengiz described how she met and became engaged to Mr. Khashoggi, Critic of the leadership of the kingdom who had written opinion pieces for the Washington Post how it triggered the alarm when it did not come out of the consulate.
His first meeting at the consulate a few days earlier had been courteous, so he had little scruples about returning, she said. "He did not hesitate at all."
As the hours passed and Mr. Khashoggi did not reappear, Ms. Cengiz said, she thought that he enjoyed chatting with the consular staff. Only when she realized that the consulate was closed for the day that she felt a great fright and asked the guards where he was.
After weeks of insistence that Mr. Khashoggi had left the building alive, Saudi Arabia caved under pressure from Turkey and acknowledged a week ago that he was killed, although officials insisted that his death was an accident. The official story of the kingdom changed again on Thursday, when a state prosecutor said that the murder had been premeditated.
The assassination of Mr. Khashoggi has led many analysts, intelligence officials and Western elected leaders to suggest that it would have been committed without the approval of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, de facto leader of the country. crucial ally of the White House. Saudi Arabia insisted that no senior figure in the royal family knew or sanctioned the operation, while acknowledging that high-ranking aides close to the Crown Prince were involved.
Responding to Western calls to reduce arms sales or impose other sanctions, Saudi Arabia tacitly threatened Friday to seek Moscow's support.
King Salman met by telephone with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin about the Khashoggi affair on Thursday, according to statements by both governments. And on Friday, a spokesman for the Kremlin expressed confidence in the official Saudi inquiry and in its report – remarks largely echoed by Russian and Saudi media.
"There is no reason for anyone not to believe the announcements of Saudi Arabia," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
"We heard the statement of the royal family condemning this murder," he said. "But everything else comes back to the investigations ordered by the royal family and we support them all."
The manager of a Russian government investment fund, Kirill Dmitriev, was the only representative of the European government to play a leading role in the Saudi conference on investment organized by Prince Mohammed this week. Many US and European officials and businessmen left the protest because of the tumult of Mr. Khashoggi's death.
The TV chief, Gina Haspel, traveled to Turkey this week and, according to pro-government Turkish newspapers, was presented with evidence gathered by Turkish investigators, including audio recordings of the murder.
Erdogan said Friday that Turkey had shared the evidence with those who had asked to see them but had kept the original documents. Those who saw the evidence are "surprised", he added.
Erdogan said the murderer was among the 15 Saudi officials who went to Turkey a few hours before Mr. Khashoggi's arrival at the Saudi consulate.
"In reality, the author is certain. And something else comes up, who is the one who gives the orders? Said Erdogan. "On whose order did these 15 people come to Istanbul on Friday? The authorities should explain this.
He added, "And of course, we have other information and documents in our hands. You will reap the harvest when the sun rises. It is not significant to rush for the moment.
The Turkish leader said that King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Prince Mohammed both told him by phone that he had arrested 18 people involved in the crime – the 15 who had traveled to Turkey and three others.
Erdogan asked Saudi leaders to reveal the location of Mr. Khashoggi's body. "You should show us the body," he says. "If you can not make them talk – the incident happened in Istanbul, at the Istanbul consulate – give them to us and we will put them to trial."
Erdogan said the Saudi chief prosecutor would travel to Turkey on Sunday to meet the chief prosecutor of Istanbul, who heads the Turkish investigation.
"They will have a meeting and we will see the conclusion," he said.
