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One of these sources described the officer as being close to the restricted circle of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It is not known whether the Crown Prince authorized an interrogation or abduction. Several officials with whom CNN spoke have said that the apparent murder would not have occurred without the direct knowledge of the 33-year-old Crown Prince, the de facto ruler of the kingdom, known by his initials as "MBS ".
A second source said that the officer had gathered and sent his own team to interrogate Khashoggi. They suspect Khashoggi of having links with the great rival of the kingdom, Qatar, according to the same source. No evidence could prove that Khashoggi had such links.
Another source told CNN that the mission organizer was not transparent about what he had said in Riyadh, explaining why the government had not said anything about it. clear information for days.
A Turkish official told CNN on Tuesday that Khashoggi 's body was cut to pieces after his assassination two weeks ago at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. The complaint, which was first presented to the New York Times earlier in the investigation into Khashoggi's fate, took place after Turkish officials raided the consulate for nine hours on Monday night. The Turkish official did not want to comment on the method of elimination of the body.
The passports suggest that the team had links with the Saudi government
Turkish officials said in private that Khashoggi was killed at the consulate on October 2 after his arrival to obtain papers allowing him to marry his Turkish girlfriend, Hatice Cengiz. Saudi Arabia has previously insisted that he leave the building alive, but Cengiz says he never sees him again.
Earlier, a source close to the ongoing investigation had told CNN that the Turkish authorities had sound and visual evidence showing that Khashoggi had been killed inside the Saudi Arabian consulate. The evidence, which was described at the source by a Western intelligence service, showed that there had been aggression and struggle inside the consulate.
Turkish authorities estimate that 15 Saudis who arrived in Istanbul on 2 October were linked to the disappearance – and possible murder – of Khashoggi at the Istanbul consulate.
Turkish officials provided CNN with seven-man passport scans that they suspected were part of the so-called Saudi strike team. The passport scanners were taken on the day of Khashoggi's disappearance.
One of the passport scanners seems to belong to Salah Muhammad al-Tubaiqi, listed as head of forensic medicine at the Saudi Ministry of the Interior. Muhammad Saad al-Zahrani, who appeared on Saudi public television alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is another member of the group identified by the official Turkish media and included in the alleged scans of the passport.
Sabah, a pro-government private newspaper in Turkey, last week published 15 names, as well as photographs of men who, according to authorities, were reportedly airlifted from Riyadh to Istanbul. Eight of the 15 were identified by the Anadolu News Agency.
Two sources close to the investigation confirmed to CNN that the 15 men listed by Sabah were interesting for the ongoing criminal investigation opened by Turkish prosecutors.
Officials will search the residence of the Saudi consul general on Wednesday
By the time Turkish investigators had access to the consulate Monday night, a new coat of paint was applied "everywhere" inside the building, a Turkish official told CNN on Tuesday. The source said that Saudi Arabia should "make a real contribution" to the investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance in Istanbul.
Earlier Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had hinted that investigators were investigating the possibility that evidence of the presence of toxic substances had been concealed.
"My hope is that we can reach conclusions that will give us reasonable notice as soon as possible, because the investigation examines many problems, such as toxic materials and their elimination by repainting them," Erdogan said at the conference. press.
CNN saw a cleaning team enter the consulate building on Monday before Turkish officials arrived with a forensic team to begin their investigation. CCTV footage showed vehicles moving from the consulate building to the neighboring residence of the Saudi Consul General on 2 October.
No search was scheduled for Tuesday at the consul general 's place, according to a deputy police officer near the building who spoke with the CNN team in Istanbul. Investigators said the searches would be held Wednesday, according to state broadcaster TRT.
At the same time, the consul general, Mohammed Otaibi, himself left Turkey on Tuesday, announced the semi-official Anadolu news agency.
International surveillance is intensifying
Saudi Arabia is under intense international pressure to explain the apparent death of Khashoggi, which has created a diplomatic divide between Saudi Arabia and the West.
G7 Foreign Ministers called for accountability.
"We encourage the Turkish-Saudi collaboration and look forward to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conducting a thorough, credible, transparent and timely investigation as announced."
"My assessment of these meetings is that there is a serious commitment to ascertain all the facts and to ensure accountability, including the accountability of senior Saudi leaders or senior officials," Pompeo said Tuesday. outcome of a meeting.
Pompeo will travel to Ankara, Turkey on Wednesday to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.
