Turkey says planning intl. probe into murder of Saudi critic Khashoggi

Speaking at a youth meeting in Istanbul on Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed that Ankara was well-aware of difficulties in the path to shed light on Khashoggi's murder case.

“There are Western countries trying to cover this case up. I know the reasons. We know and see what sorts of deals are made. We see how those who spoke of freedom of press are now covering this up after seeing money,” he said.

However, he added, Turkey is planning an international inquiry into the case.

“We, however, will go until the end. We made preparations for an international investigation in the coming days and we will take the necessary steps,” Cavusoglu said.

Khashoggi -- an outspoken critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- was killed by a Saudi hit squad inside the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate last October.

After weeks of denials of any involvement in the journalist’s disappearance, the Riyadh regime eventually acknowledged the “premeditated” murder, but sought to distance bin Salman from the case.

However, the assassination is widely believed to have been ordered by the heir to the Saudi throne.

The CIA is also said to have concluded that the crown prince had “probably ordered” the murder.

In December 2018, Turkey called for an international investigation into the case of slain Saudi dissident journalist, after Riyadh refused to extradite two senior Saudi officials suspected of planning his murder.

Ankara wants Saudi Arabia to extradite the suspects for them to stand trial in Istanbul, a request rejected by Riyadh. Turkish officials have on several occasions complained about the lack of cooperation on the part of Riyadh in the investigation.

Saudi Arabia held an initial hearing into Khashoggi's death earlier this month, with the public prosecutor requesting the death penalty for five of the 11 suspects detained.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), however, said it cannot assess the fairness of the trial, and that in any case it was “not sufficient.”

It also called for an independent investigation “with international involvement.”