Jamal Khashoggi died as a result of a brutal premeditated murder, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, in a highly anticipated speech in which he rejected Saudi Arabia's claim that the journalist was killed accidentally.
Erdogan called on the perpetrators to be brought to justice in Istanbul and questioned whether the Vienna Conventions, which give immunity to diplomatic staff, applied in this case.
It was the first time that any official in Turkey has publicly outlined the Turkish contention that Khashoggi was killed by a hit squad sent from Saudi Arabia. But while Erdogan had promised the "naked truth," he offered few details beyond those revealed by Turkish officials speaking privately.
The main thrust of his speech amounted to a comprehensive rejection of Saudi Arabia's case that Khashoggi died by accident, as a result of a brawl. "The information obtained so far and the evidence found shows that Khashoggi was murdered in a ferocious manner," Erdogan told lawmakers in Ankara.
Among the new details revealed by Erdogan was an allegation that, on the day before Khashoggi was killed, a team of consular staff carried out a reconnaissance mission at two separate locations in Belgrad Forest, on the outskirts of Istanbul, and at Yalova, a city about a 55 mile (90 kilometer) drive south of the city.
He put into the public domain allegations that a 15-strong hit squad arrived in Istanbul, saying that a team of three arrived on a private jet the day before Khashoggi died, and that two teams of nine and three -- the larger team including "generals" -- arrived on the day of his appointment at the consulate.
Hours before Khashoggi arrived to obtain paperwork to marry his fiancee, security cameras were disconnected, Erdogan said.
"We stated that we would not remain silent and that we would take every step necessary for justice to be done," Erdogan said to members of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
But there were some glaring omissions and few new details in the speech. Much of what Erdogan said in the parliamentary address has already appeared in media reports and he made no reference to a previously reported audio recording from inside the consulate, said to have captured his alleged torture and killing. Nor did he mention Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom's de facto ruler, by name.
Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi regime, went missing after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 2. Authorities now say the 59-year-old Washington Post contributor was murdered; an investigation into the circumstances is ongoing and the whereabouts of his corpse is still unknown.
(Pictured) Saudi Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud speaks during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in the capital Riyadh on Oct. 24. Saudi Arabia is hosting the key investment summit, overshadowed by the killing of critic Jamal Khashoggi that has prompted a wave of policymakers and corporate giants to withdraw.
Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa smiles as he arrives to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh, on Oct. 24.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gives a press conference at the US Department of State in Washington, DC., on Oct. 23. The United States is revoking the visas of Saudis found to be involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.
In this photo released by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, shakes hands with Salah Khashoggi, a son, of Jamal Khashoggi, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 23.
A still image taken from CCTV video and obtained by A News claims to show Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his fiancee entering their residence on the day he disappeared in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 2.
Still images taken from two different CCTV videos and obtained by Turkish security sources claim to show Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as he arrives at Saudi Arabia's Consulate and another man allegedly wearing Khashoggi's clothes while walking in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 2.
President Donald Trump talks to reporters about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey during a bill signing ceremony at the White House in Washington, on Oct. 23.
Turkish police crime scene investigators, looking for possible clues into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, work in an underground car park, in Istanbul, on Oct. 23.
Former Maldives' president Mohammed Waheed Hassan (L), Jordan's King Abdullah II (2nd L) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) attend the Future Investment Initiative FII conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Oct. 23. Saudi Arabia is hosting the key investment summit overshadowed by the killing of critic Jamal Khashoggi that has prompted a wave of policymakers and corporate giants to withdraw.
Turkish forensics arrive at an underground car park cordoned off by Turkish police after they found an abandoned car belonging to the Saudi consulate, on Oct. 23 in Istanbul.
A forensic police officer and a police dog arrive to work during ongoing investigations in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in an underground car park in the Sultangazi district of Istanbul, on Oct. 23.
A still image taken from CCTV video and obtained by TRT World claims to show Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, highlighted in a red circle by the source, as he arrives at Saudi Arabia's Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 2.
Canadian activist Sahar Zakybir stage a protest on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in front of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 23.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, on Oct. 23. Saudi officials murdered Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in their Istanbul consulate after plotting his death for days, Erdogan said, contradicting Saudi Arabia's explanation that the writer was accidentally killed. He demanded that the kingdom reveal the identities of all involved, regardless of rank.
People watch on a TV the speech of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Oct. 23 in a cafe in Istanbul. Turkish President called for 18 Saudi suspects in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to stand trial in Istanbul, saying all those involved had to face punishment.
Led by activist Medea Benjamin (C), about 17 protesters from Code Pink: Women for Peace demonstrate against U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen in the offices of Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Oct. 22, in Washington, DC. Sparked by the apparent murder of Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, the Code Pink activists called on senators to support Senate Joint Resolution 54, war powers legislation that would end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
A security guard at Saudi Arabia's consulate opens the main door, on Oct. 22, in Istanbul. In a sign of growing pressure on Saudi Arabia, Turkey said it will announce details of its investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday and U.S. congressional leaders said the Gulf kingdom — in particular, its crown prince — should face severe consequences for the death of the writer in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
President of Indonesia Joko Widodo (L) welcomes Saudi Arabia Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir at Bogor Presidential Palace on Oct. 22, in Bogor, West Java. Besides talking about the bilateral relationship between both countries, the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was also being discussed.
Turkish crime scene investigators are seen at a parking area after a vehicle belonging to Saudi Consulate on Oct. 22, in Istanbul with a diplomatic number plate has been found in Sultangazi district of Istanbul, Turkey. Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, had gone missing since entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. After days of denying to know his whereabouts, Saudi Arabia on Saturday claimed Khashoggi died during a fight inside the consulate.
Police officers block the road after a vehicle belonging to Saudi Consulate in Istanbul with a diplomatic number plate has been found at a parking area in Sultangazi district of Istanbul, Turkey.
Led by activist Medea Benjamin, about 17 protesters from Code Pink: Women for Peace demonstrate against U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen in the offices of Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Oct. 22, in Washington, DC. Sparked by the apparent murder of Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, the Code Pink activists called on senators to support Senate Joint Resolution 54, war powers legislation that would end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
Turkish forensics enter an underground car park cordoned off by Turkish police, on Oct. 22, in Istanbul, after they found an abandoned car belonging to the Saudi consulate, three weeks after the apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Turkish crime scene investigators arrive after a vehicle belonging to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul with a diplomatic plate was found at a parking area in the Sultangazi district of Istanbul, Turkey on Oct 22.
A car with diplomatic number plates and allegedly belonging to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is photographed parked in an underground parking lot in the city on Oct. 22, 2018.
Turkish police officers stand guard as they cordon off the area around an underground parking garage on Oct. 22, in Istanbul, as forensics and investigation officers came to check a Saudi diplomatic vehicle.
A person carries a black bag to the Saudi consulate from a vehicle belonging to the consulate as the waiting continues on the killing of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 21.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves following his speech at an opening ceremony for a new metro station in Istanbul on Oct. 21. Erdogan said that he will announce details of the Turkish investigation into the death of Jamal Khashoggi on Oct. 23.
This image taken from CCTV video, made available on Oct. 21, purportedly shows Jamal Khashoggi talking to his fiancee Hatice Cengiz, seen in expanded view, before entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, on Oct. 2.
Egyptian opposition politician Ayman Nour, left, flanked by Turkish journalist Turan Kislakci, head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, address media in front of the Saudi consulate on Oct. 20 in Istanbul.
The entrance to the Belgrade Forest on the outskirts of Istanbul on Oct. 20 A Turkish official told AP that investigators are looking into the possibility that Khashoggi’s remains may have been taken outside Istanbul. Speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, the official said police have established that two vehicles belonging to the consulate left the building Oct. 2. One traveled to the Belgrade Forest on the city’s outskirts, while the other went to the city of Yalova, across the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul, the official said.
A security guard walks outside Saudi Arabia's consulate on Oct. 20 in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia claims Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi died in a "fistfight" in consulate, finally admitting that the writer had been slain at its diplomatic post. The overnight announcements in Saudi state media came more than two weeks after Khashoggi, 59, entered the building for paperwork required to marry his Turkish fiancée, and never came out.
Activists and protesters march to the U.S. Department of State building after holding a demonstration calling for sanctions against Saudi Arabia and against the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, outside the White House on Oct. 19.
Police barricades are seen outside the entrance of the Saudi consulate as the waiting continues on the disappearance of Prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Oct. 19 in Istanbul, Turkey.
A dozen of Indonesian journalists hold posters with photos of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi during a protest outside Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 19.
Indonesian journalists hold banner asking for a complete investigation into the disappearance of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 19.
Protesters with the group Code Pink march outside the White House in the wake of the disappearance of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Oct. 19, in Washington, DC.
A policeman stands guard as an Indonesian journalist holds a placard during a protest over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in front of the Saudi Arabia embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 19.
Activists dressed as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a demonstration calling for sanctions against Saudi Arabia and to protest the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, outside the White House in Washington, on Oct. 19.
Indonesian journalists hold banner asking for a complete investigation into the disappearance of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Jakarta, Indonesia, on, Oct. 19.
An activist holds an image of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a demonstration calling for sanctions against Saudi Arabia and to protest Khashoggi's disappearance, outside the White House in Washington, on Oct. 19.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks with reporters about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, on Oct. 18, in Washington.
United Nations director at Human Rights Watch Louis Charbonneau (L), Deputy Executive Director of Committee to Protect Journalists Robert Mahoney (C) and Head of New York (UN) Office at Amnesty International Sherine Tadros (R) hold a joint press conference on the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in New York, on Oct. 18.
Outside view of the official residence of Consul General of Saudi Arabia as the waiting continues on the disappearance of Prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 18.
Turkish forensic officers arrive at the Saudi consulate to conduct a new search over the disappearance and alleged slaying of writer Jamal Khashoggi, in Istanbul, early on Oct. 18.
Turkish forensic officers arrive at the Saudi consulate to conduct a new search over the disappearance and alleged slaying of writer Jamal Khashoggi, in Istanbul, early on Oct. 18.
A still image taken from CCTV video and obtained by TRT World claims to show Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as he arrives at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 2.
Turkish forensic officers leave the Saudi consulate after conducting a new search. Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak on Wednesday said it had obtained audio recordings of the alleged killing of Khashoggi inside the consulate.
A Turkish police officer walks inside the property of the residence of the Saudi consul General Mohammed al-Otaibi as Turkish police conducted a search on Oct. 17 in Istanbul.
A Turkish police K9 unit arrives to search the back garden of the Saudi Arabian consulate general residence as investigations continue on Oct. 17 in Istanbul.
Turkish crime scene investigators leave after completed the inspection of the Saudi consul general's official residence as part of an investigation on Oct. 17 in Istanbul.
Turkish forensic police work in a room inside the Saudi Arabian Consul General's residence on Oct. 17, in Istanbul, Turkey, as investigations continue into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shake hands during their meeting at Esenboga International Airport in Ankara, Turkey on Oct. 17.
A woman protests the disappearance of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, while walking around the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 16.
Turkish crime scene investigators dressed in coveralls and gloves entered the consulate Monday, nearly two weeks after the disappearance and alleged slaying of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi there.
A police vehicle arrives at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 15, to search the premises in the investigation over missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
An unidentified man tries to hold back the press as Saudi investigators arrive at the Saudi Arabian Consulate ahead of Turkish police on Oct. 15, in Istanbul, Turkey.
Turkish officials arrive at the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul, Turkey after the start of a joint probe of the case of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Oct. 15.
People hold signs at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia a during protest about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, on Oct. 10, in Washington. Standing center is David Barrows with Code Pink, wearing a mask of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Tawakkol Karman, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2011, gestures as she talks to members of the media about the disappearance of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, near the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul, on Oct. 8.
Members of the press film over a police barricade as a driver waits to take a passenger from the entrance of Saudi Arabia's consulate on Oct. 11, in Istanbul, Turkey.
Human rights activists and friends of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi hold his pictures during a protest outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 8.
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Bin Salman, in public comments the day after Khashoggi disappeared, professed to know nothing about any malfeasance, insisting Khashoggi had left the Istanbul consulate alive.
Erdogan called on the King of Saudi Arabia for the 18 Saudi suspects linked to Khashoggi's death be tried in Istanbul.
After weeks of denying any knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts, the Saudi government said on Friday that the journalist had indeed died in the kingdom's diplomatic compound in Istanbul. The Saudi story has shifted drastically since Khashoggi was last seen entering the consulate on October 2; the official line is now that he was accidentally killed when a discussion with officials turned into a brawl.
Erdogan presented a very different version of events on Tuesday, speaking in Ankara as Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference got underway in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Dozens of top business leaders from around the world have pulled out of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's showcase event, known as "Davos in the desert," as questions mount over the Saudi government's role in the death of the Washington Post columnist and US resident.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday that Khashoggi's killing was part of a rogue operation and that his government would punish those responsible for his "murder."
But Turkish officials have maintained from the start that Khashoggi's death was "violently planned" ahead of time, carried out by a team of Saudi operatives dispatched to Istanbul, and subsequently covered up.
In the intervening weeks, Turkish officials have released a drip-feed of information related to their investigation into Khashoggi's murder, including surveillance footage shared exclusively with CNN that showed what a Turkish source described as a "body double" leaving the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on the day Khashoggi died. The Saudi operative, said by the Turkish source to be one of a 15-man team sent from Saudi Arabia to kill Khashoggi, was wearing the journalist's clothes and was picked up on surveillance footage at locations around Istanbul.
Erdogan confirmed the body double in CNN's exclusive.
The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday that evidence uncovered during the investigation has yet to be shared with any country, according to Turkey state-run Anadolu News, but that Turkey was "ready to cooperate in a possible probe into Khashoggi case at UN, international courts."
"Jamal Khashoggi's killing is a violently planned and a very complicated murder, which was being covered up," Omer Celik, AKP spokesman, said at the party's headquarters in Ankara on Monday. "I hope those responsible for Khashoggi's killing are punished and no one ever thinks of repeating this."
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said: "The line our President put since the beginning of this case is very clear. The investigation will continue until the end."