2LT International News

WASHINGTON DC – In the last month, the world has learned that Jamal Khashoggi was killed in cold blood by a death squad, and it has been established that his murder was premeditated.

So wrote the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an article published by The Washington Post on Friday.

Turkey has moved heaven and earth to shed light on all aspects of the case, he said.

The Turkish president maintained his country retained good relations with Saudi Arabia but expressed concern about the latter’s actions in the wake of the assassination.

Erdogan complained that despite a pledge of cooperation by Saudi officials, the cooperation has not been forthcoming.

“Likewise, the refusal of the Saudi public prosecutor, who recently visited his counterpart in Istanbul, to cooperate with the investigation and answer even simple questions is very frustrating. His invitation of Turkish investigators to Saudi Arabia for more talks about the case felt like a desperate and deliberate stalling tactic,” he said.

“Where is Khashoggi’s body? Who is the “local collaborator” to whom Saudi officials claimed to have handed over Khashoggi’s remains? Who gave the order to kill this kind soul? Unfortunately, the Saudi authorities have refused to answer those questions,” Erdogan said.

Turkey’s leader said the Saudi government is responsible for the death of The Washington Post columnist, dismissing Saudi Arabia’s claims that it was done by ‘rogue killers.’

“We know the perpetrators are among the 18 suspects detained in Saudi Arabia. We also know those individuals came to carry out their orders: Kill Khashoggi and leave. Finally, we know the order to kill Khashoggi came from the highest levels of the Saudi government,” he wrote.

Mr Erdogan stressed he did not believe the order came from King Salman.

“As we continue to look for answers, I would like to stress that Turkey and Saudi Arabia enjoy friendly relations. I do not believe for a second that King Salman, the custodian of the holy mosques, ordered the hit on Khashoggi. Therefore, I have no reason to believe that his murder reflected Saudi Arabia’s official policy. In this sense, it would be wrong to view the Khashoggi slaying as a “problem” between two countries,” Erdogan said. “Nonetheless, I must add that our friendship with Riyadh, which goes back a long time, doesn’t mean we will turn a blind eye to the premeditated murder that unfolded in front of our very eyes. The killing of Khashoggi is inexplicable. Had this atrocity taken place in the United States or elsewhere, authorities in those countries would have gotten to the bottom of what happened. It would be out of the question for us to act any other way.”

The Turkish president said some seemed to hope “the problem,” would go away. He said this was not going to happen. He also confirmed in The Washington Post article that the evidence collated by Turkish investigators has been shared with Turkey’s allies, including the United States.

“No one should dare to commit such acts on the soil of a NATO ally again. If anyone chooses to ignore that warning, they will face severe consequences. The Khashoggi murder was a clear violation and a blatant abuse of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Failure to punish the perpetrators could set a very dangerous precedent,” he said.

The Turkish leader was also scathing that no action had been taken against Saudi Arabia’s Consul General in Istanbul.

“Though Riyadh has detained 18 suspects, it is deeply concerning that no action has been taken against the Saudi consul general, who lied through his teeth to the media and fled Turkey shortly afterward,” Erdogan said.

“The murder of Jamal Khashoggi involves a lot more than a group of security officials, just as the Watergate scandal was bigger than a break-in and the 9/11 terror attacks went beyond the hijackers, The Turkish president continued.

“As responsible members of the international community, we must reveal the identities of the puppet masters behind Khashoggi’s killing and discover those in whom Saudi officials, still trying to cover up the murder, have placed their trust.”