ISTANBUL, (Reuters) â Istanbulâs chief prosecutorâs office said yesterday that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was suffocated in a premeditated killing as soon as he entered Saudi Arabiaâs consulate four weeks ago, and his body was then dismembered and disposed of.
In a statement issued after two days of talks with Saudi Arabiaâs public prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb, it also said no concrete results were reached in those meetings.
Later on Wednesday, the spokesman for Turkeyâs ruling AK Party, Omer Celik, said Khashoggiâs killing could not have been carried out without orders from senior positions, in one of Ankaraâs strongest accusations directed at Riyadh yet.
Celik also said it was not possible that Saudi officials had still not found the journalistâs body after nearly a month of investigations.
Khashoggiâs death has escalated into a crisis for Saudi Arabia, the worldâs top oil exporter, which at first denied any knowledge of or role in his disappearance on Oct. 2.
Mojeb later said Khashoggiâs killing was premeditated and Riyadh said 18 suspects had been arrested. But Turkey, which released a stream of evidence undermining Riyadhâs early denials, has demanded more details including the whereabouts of Khashoggiâs body and who ordered his killing.
âDespite our well-intentioned efforts to reveal the truth, no concrete results have come out of those meetings,â the Istanbul prosecutorâs office said of the talks on Monday and Tuesday between Mojeb and Istanbul chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan.
The killing of Khashoggi, a critic of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has put into focus the Westâs close relationship with Saudi Arabia â a major arms buyer and lynchpin of Washingtonâs regional plans to contain Iran.
Riyadhâs European allies have criticised its initial response and U.S. President Donald Trump said Saudi authorities had staged the âworst cover-up everâ, although he has repeatedly said he would not jeopardise U.S. business with the kingdom.
Turkeyâs President Tayyip Erdogan, who has demanded more information from Saudi Arabia, said on Tuesday Fidan had asked Mojeb to disclose who sent a 15-strong team from Riyadh which is suspected of involvement in the killing.
The prosecutorâs statement said Fidan also repeated Ankaraâs request for the 18 suspects to be extradited to face trial in Turkey, and asked Mojeb to disclose the identity of a âlocal cooperatorâ who, according to a Saudi official, disposed of Khashoggiâs body.
In a written response, Mojeb invited Fidan to Saudi Arabia to question the suspects and determine âthe fate of the bodyâ and establish whether the killing was premeditated, the Turkish prosecutorâs statement said.
It said Mojebâs response also distanced Riyadh from the idea that a âlocal cooperatorâ had been involved, saying that Saudi authorities had not made an official statement to that effect.
Mojeb left Turkey on Wednesday evening after a three-day visit during which he also held talks at the offices of Turkeyâs National Intelligence Agency (MIT).
Turkeyâs relations with Saudi Arabia were strained last year when Ankara sent troops to the Gulf state of Qatar in a show of support after its Gulf neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, imposed an embargo on Doha.
Erdoganâs government has pressed Riyadh to conclude its investigation as soon as possible. âThe whole truth must be revealed,â Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said this week.
Erdogan has also called on Saudi Arabia to disclose who ordered Khashoggiâs killing. âThere is no point in procrastinating or trying to save some people from under this,â he told reporters on Tuesday.
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