Erdogan says Saudis have "advanced systems" that would have recorded the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi

ISTANBUL – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday condemned Saudi Arabia for failing to report publicly on the whereabouts of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, saying the Saudi government has "advanced" surveillance equipment that would have recorded Khashoggi's movements in and around the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. , according to a report published in the Turkish daily Sabah.

"Is it possible not to have a camera system at the consulate or at the embassy? Is it possible that camera systems do not exist at the consulate of Saudi Arabia, where the incident occurred? Erdogan told reporters who accompanied him on a trip to Hungary, according to Sabah.

The Saudis could "catch a bird or a mosquito with their advanced systems," added Erdogan.

His comments were the latest sign of growing international pressure on Saudi leaders to reveal the whereabouts of Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. Saudi officials claimed that the Saudi dissident journalist had left the consulate, but did not provide any evidence to support this claim.

Turkey has not disclosed any official finding on the disappearance of Khashoggi, but people close to the Turkish investigation have said that it would have concluded that he had been killed inside. Consulate soon after entering the country. After he was killed, his body was dismembered to conceal the murder, they said the probe had been found.

Human rights groups and press freedom advocates have asked Saudi Arabia to reveal Khashoggi's position. The outcry, in turn, put pressure on the Trump government and Britain, two of Saudi Arabia's most committed Western allies, to pressure its Saudi counterparts for answers.

In response, the New York Times announced Wednesday it was withdrawing its support for the investment conference scheduled for the end of the month in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. On Thursday, a group of London-based activists, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, asked the Natural History Museum in London to cancel a reception organized by the Saudi Embassy.

Also on Thursday, President Trump told reporters that the White House was watching Khashoggi's disappearance very closely.

"What happened is a terrible thing, assuming it happened," he said. "Perhaps we will be pleasantly surprised, but I tend to doubt it."

"We intend to get to the bottom of things," he added.

The president also reiterated his opposition to Saudi Arabia's crackdown by blocking US $ 110 billion worth of arms sales for the United States. "There are other things we can do," he said.

Adding to the pressure, a report released Thursday in the Washington Post said US officials had gathered information that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had authorized an operation to lure Khashoggi from his home in Virginia and to hold back. US officials have said intelligence interceptions have captured talks between Saudi officials about such a plan.

[Crown prince sought to lure Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia and detain him, U.S. intercepts show]

Turkish officials on Wednesday accused Saudi Arabia of failing to cooperate with Turkey's investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance, notably by failing to comply with Turkey's request to enter the consulate. Mohammed, the Saudi Crown Prince, had previously said that the Turkish government could search the premises.

"The Saudis now seem to be waiting," said a senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, to discuss the ongoing investigation. "They say," You can not do an appropriate investigation here. You come here for a cup of tea and we will show you around. & # 39; "

"Saudis do not cooperate in this investigation," said another Turkish official. "We do not have access to the consulate or consul house we need."

Under the Vienna Convention, a host country can not enter the field of a foreign diplomatic mission without authorization.

The top Turkish official said the Turkish authorities had "strong indications" that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate. They also hope to search the residence of the Saudi consul general, within 500 meters. Several vehicles, including a black Mercedes-Benz Vito van, surrendered from the consulate to the residence two hours after Khashoggi entered the diplomatic corps premises, according to a video obtained Wednesday by the Washington Post that would aim to describe the movements of the 15- Turkish investigators, members of the Saudi national team, played a role in the disappearance of Khashoggi.

The images were compiled and edited by the Turkish authorities to gather a chronology of the events of October 2, the last day Khashoggi was seen, according to a person close to the investigation who provided it. This happened when the Turkish newspaper Sabah published the identity of the 15 men.

Three Turkish officials confirmed the accuracy of the list. "We all know the names," said one of them, a security officer who requested anonymity because the information is sensitive.

Read more:

The disappearance and alleged assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi could complicate US-Saudi relations

Read Jamal Khashoggi's columns for the Washington Post

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