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Turkey doubts Saudi willingness to 'genuinely cooperate' on Khashoggi: Report

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Oct 31, 2018, 04:10 PM IST
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File photo. Photograph:(Reuters)

Saudi Arabian officials have appeared unwilling to "genuinely cooperate" with Turkey's investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a senior Turkish official said on Wednesday.

"The Saudi officials seemed primarily interested in finding out what evidence the Turkish authorities had against the perpetrators," the news agency AFP quoted an official saying. "We did not get the impression that they were keen on genuinely cooperating with the investigation."

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor reportedly held talks overnight with Turkish intelligence officials over the investigation into the killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

According to a report by Reuters, Saudi public prosecutor Al Mojeb left his hotel shortly after midnight and went to the Istanbul regional offices of Turkey's National Intelligence Agency (MIT). However, there is no report on how long he stayed there before returning to his hotel.

Khashoggi's death has escalated into a crisis for Saudi Arabia which at first denied any knowledge of, or role in, his disappearance four weeks ago.

Last week Mojeb contradicted previous Saudi statements, saying Khashoggi's killing was premeditated. Riyadh says it has arrested 18 suspects, including a team sent to Istanbul hours before Khashoggi's death, but has rejected Turkey's call for their extradition.

President Tayyip Erdogan, who has demanded more information from Saudi Arabia, said on Tuesday Istanbul's chief prosecutor had asked Mojeb to disclose who sent the team from Riyadh which is suspected of involvement in the killing.

The killing of Khashoggi, a critic of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has put into focus the West's close relationship with Saudi Arabia - a major arms buyer and lynchpin of Washington's regional plans to contain Iran.

(With inputs from Reuters)