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Paramilitary police officers stand outside a private villa in Yalova, Turkey, on Monday, November 26, 2018. According to a news agency run by Turkey, police search a villa in the north of Western Turkey as part of an investigation into the murder of a Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (DHA via AP) (Associated Press)
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish police, searching for the remains of assassinated Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, have searched the grounds of two adjoining villas in northwestern Turkey, the official Iranian news agency reported.
Investigators and other officials, helped by sniffer dogs and a drone, first closed one of the villas near the town of Termal, in Yalova province, and then continued their Field research of the neighboring villa, announced the Anadolu public agency.
The search focused on a well located on the grounds of the first villa, which was draining water with special equipment.
Turkey maintains pressure on Saudi Arabia following the October 2 assassination of US columnist The Washington Post. Khashoggi was a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In Turkey, the reporter was killed by a 15-member assassination team sent from Riyadh. The assassins strangled and dismembered him before removing his remains, which have not yet been found.
Anadolu, without citing any source, said the villas belonged to two Saudi businessmen, including one allegedly contacted by telephone by members of the Saudi assassination team.
The agency did not name the businessman, but said he was out of Turkey at the time and had not returned in the past two months.
Ankara insists that the orders of assassination came from the highest levels of the Saudi government, but not from King Salman. Among the Saudi agents at the origin of the murder, were members of the entourage of the Crown Prince's security.
Saudi Arabia first stated that Khashoggi had left the consulate before reporting his story of what happened between the Turkish intelligence services. Riyadh is now seeking the death penalty for five members of the strike group, ostensibly to appease the international indignation over the murder and to drive away the assassins and their operation from the Crown Prince.
Saudi prosecutors contend that the 15-person team sent to Istanbul exceeded its authority when the team's chief negotiator decided to kill Khashoggi for refusing to give order on his return.
Yalova Governor Muammer Erol confirmed that a search related to the assassination of Khashoggi was under way, but said that any announcement regarding the search would come from the Istanbul Attorney General, who was leading the Turkish investigation into the murder. murder.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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