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ANKARA, Turkey – According to a surveillance video, a man pretending to be wearing Jamal Khashoggi 's clothes left the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul following his assassination, while a member of the government told Amnesty International. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's entourage has called on the King's Times office four times, reports said Monday.
Reports from CNN and a pro-government Turkish newspaper came just one day before Prince Mohammed's summit on investment, which was to begin in Riyadh, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised that the details of the assassination of Khashoggi "will be revealed naked."
This again adds to the pressure on Saudi Arabia for the murder of the Washington Post columnist. The kingdom's Saturday claim that Khashoggi died in a "fist fight" met international skepticism and concealment charges aimed at relieving the 33-year-old crown prince of any direct responsibility.
Turkish media and officials say a 15-member Saudi team traveled to Istanbul on October 2, knowing that Khashoggi would arrive to get a document he needed to get married. Once inside the diplomatic mission, the Saudis approached Khashoggi, cut off his fingers, killed and dismembered the 59-year-old writer.
CNN aired a surveillance footage Monday showing the man wearing a shirt, suit jacket and trousers. A Turkish official reportedly described the man as a "double body" and sent a member of the Saudi team to Istanbul to target the author. The man is seen in the images coming out of the consulate by the rear exit of the consulate with an accomplice, then taking a taxi to get to the famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, where he entered a public bathroom, s 'is removed and left.
The state broadcaster TRT also later announced that a man who had entered the consulate building had been seen leaving the building dressed by Khashoggi.
In the days following the death of Khashoggi, Saudi officials first announced that he had left the consulate, which implied premeditation on the part of the Saudi team.
"After the Turkish authorities and the media were allowed to inspect the entire consulate building, the charges brought to the outrageous claim that he had been murdered at the consulate, during office hours and with dozens of employees and visitors in the building, "On October 8, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Khalid bin Salman, brother of the Crown Prince, wrote:" I do not know not behind these statements, neither in their intentions nor in my mind. "
The Yeni Safak newspaper reported in a separate article that Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a member of Prince Mohammed's entourage who traveled to the United States, France and Spain this year, had appealed to the consulate. According to the newspaper, the four calls were addressed to Bader al-Asaker, the head of Prince Mohammed's office. Another call was sent to the United States.
Yeni Safak did not mention any sources of information. However, pro-government newspapers leaked information about Khashoggi's murder, apparently with the help of Turkish security forces. Yeni Safak announced last week that Saudi officials had cut off Khashoggi's fingers and then beheaded him at the consulate while his fiancee was waiting outside.
Officials in Saudi Arabia have not responded to repeated requests for comments from the Associated Press in recent days, including Monday. To date, Saudi Arabia has neither acknowledged nor explained Mutreb's presence in Istanbul – nor has an expert in forensics and autopsy been on hand for Khashoggi's arrival at the consulate.
Last week, a leaked photo apparently taken from a surveillance video showed Mutreb at the consulate just before Khashoggi's arrival. Mutreb's name also corresponds to that of a first secretary who has already been a diplomat at the Saudi Embassy in London, according to a 2007 list prepared by the British Foreign Office.
Meanwhile, the Saudi media reported that Prince Mohammed and King Salman had telephoned Khashoggi's son, Salah, early Monday morning. According to statements of the agency, the king and the crown prince expressed their condolences for the death of Khashoggi.
A Saudi friend of Khashoggi, who was in contact with him before his death, told the AP that Salah Khashoggi was banned from leaving the kingdom since last year as a result of his father's criticism of him. government. The friend spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussion. Saudi statements have not acknowledged the ban.
Five Turkish employees of the consulate also testified on Monday before the prosecutors, reported the Turkish media. The chief prosecutor of Istanbul had summoned 28 other officials of the Saudi consulate, including Turkish citizens and foreign nationals, to testify. Some Turkish employees reportedly said that they had been told not to go to work at the time of Khashoggi's disappearance.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Fox News Sunday that the killing of Khashoggi was "a sneaky operation" and that "we do not know where the body is."
"The people who did this did so outside of their authority," he said. "Obviously, a huge mistake has been made and what has made it worse is the attempt to conceal. This is unacceptable for the government. "
Republicans and congressional Democrats, however, believe that Saudi Arabia should be punished for killing Khashoggi. President Donald Trump also spoke of possible sanctions, but said he did not want to put an end to proposed arms sales to Saudi Arabia as this would hurt US manufacturers.
Britain, Germany and France issued a joint statement condemning the assassination of Khashoggi, stressing that there was an "urgent need to clarify exactly what had happened ".
In a statement released on Sunday, governments said attacks on journalists were unacceptable and "cause great concern to our three countries". They added that the "hypotheses" proposed until now in the Saudi inquiry should be considered credible.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters in Berlin on Sunday that she was in favor of a freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia. German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier stressed this point on Monday, calling for a common EU position, as Germany "will not approve new arms exports for the moment, because we want know what happened.
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Gambrell reported in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press editors Aya Batrawy in Dubai, UAE and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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