By Nilay Kar Onum
ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkey will continue its efforts to shed light on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the country’s president said on Sunday.
Writing an article in the Washington Post, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would continue pressing for the whereabouts of Khasshoggi's remains and the identities of those responsible.
Underlining that many questions remained unanswered about the court proceedings in Saudi Arabia, he said: "The near-complete lack of transparency surrounding the trial, the lack of public access to hearings and the allegation that some of Khashoggi’s murderers enjoy de facto freedom fail to meet the international community’s expectations and tarnish the image of Saudi Arabia — something that Turkey, as its friend and ally, does not desire."
“It is in our best interest, and in the best interest of humanity, to ensure that such a crime is not committed anywhere again. Combating impunity is the easiest way to accomplish that goal. We owe it to Jamal’s family," he wrote, adding that Khashoggi’s "assassination" was not only a tragedy but a "blatant abuse of diplomatic immunity."
Khashoggi was killed on Oct. 2, 2018 in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia initially denied any knowledge of his whereabouts after he went missing but later attempted to blame his death on a team of rogue operatives carrying out a botched rendition operation.
According to reports by the UN and other independent organizations, he was murdered and dismembered. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accepted responsibility for the killing of Khashoggi, but denied ordering the murder.
The killing has sparked international outcry with the UN calling for an investigation into the role of bin Salman in carrying out the operation. Khashoggi's remains have not yet been found.
