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Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Saudi Arabia's chief prosecutor, who visited on Tuesday the consulate in Istanbul where Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, to investigate who ordered the hit on the journalist.
Khashoggi's death has brought unprecedented international scrutiny to Saudi Arabia and its powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and the journalist's fiancee has accused the regime of a massive cover-up.
Erdogan, who says a 15-person team travels from Riyadh to Istanbul to kill Khashoggi, has been sent to the United States.
"Who feels these 15 people?" As Saudi public prosecutor, "you can reveal it," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara on Tuesday, shortly after the head of the Saudi investigation entered the kingdom's consulate.
"Now we have no need to prevaricate, it makes no sense to try to save certain people," said Erdogan, who has been arrested by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is seeking to draw a line under the rubric of narrative following the journalist's disappearance.
Attorney General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb traveled to Istanbul this week after being the first to be informed about Turkey's investigation.
He puts Istanbul chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan on Monday and asked for the full findings of the Turkish investigation, including all images and audio recordings, Turkish broadcaster TRT reported.
The Turkish investigators rejected the request, said TRT said, instead calling on the Saudi prosecutor to reveal information about the location of Khashoggi's body.
They also repeated Erdogan's call for the 18 suspects detained by Saudi Arabia over the murder of Turkey for trial, according to TRT. Riyadh has refused the request.
Mojeb puts with Turkish investigators again on Tuesday before visiting the consulate for an hour and a half and leaving a statement.
– 'Covered up' –
Khashoggi, 59, was an insider in Saudi royal circles before going into self-imposed exile in the United States last year after falling out with the Crown Prince.
He entered the consulate to obtain paperwork for his marriage to his Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz.
On Monday, President of the United States Donald Trump – to do more to expose what really happened.
"I am extremely disappointed by the stance of the leadership of many countries, particularly in the US," Cengiz told a memorial event in London.
"President Trump should help reveal the truth and ensure justice be served."
She said she believed that Khashoggi's body was supposed to be "evil criminals and their cowardly political masters" to be held to account.
Trump has called the box "one of the worst covers-ups in history", but warned against halting Saudi Arabia, said it would harm US jobs.
– 'Local co-conspirators'? –
Riyadh initially insisted that Khashoggi left the consulate unharmed, but as pressure grew, Saudi state media changed the story and said Khashoggi died when an argument descended into a brawl.
The story was undercut by footage, which Erdogan confirmed, of a Saudi official acting as a double body for Khashoggi, wearing the journalist's clothes when leaving the consulate to pretend to be dead man.
The Saudi leadership has since blamed a "rogue operation".
The search for Khashoggi 's body continues, after crusade reports in the Turkish media.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday for international experts to take part in the investigation.
"The participation of international experts," Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.
"I urge the Saudi authorities to reveal the whereabouts of the body without delay," she added.
Beyond the detention of the 18 suspects, which were part of Prince Mohammed's inner circle.
The affair has, in fact, been the leader of the oil-rich Gulf nation, who has already become a Saudi reformer.
He has denounced the murder as "repulsive" and strongly denied any involvement.
