Erdogan: Audio recording of Khashoggi murder is ‘appalling’
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today recordings of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder are "appalling" and shocked the Saudi intelligence officer who listened to them.
Erdogan's comments came after he spent the weekend in Paris for Remembrance Day commemorations
He discussed the murder of Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate with the US, French and German leaders over dinner, said Reuters, citing local media.
The Turkish president has previously said the tapes were shared with Saudi Arabia, the US, France, Germany and Britain, and added yesterday that Canada had also been informed.
“The recordings are really appalling. Indeed when the Saudi intelligence officer listened to the recordings he was so shocked he said: ‘This one must have taken heroin, only someone who takes heroin would do this’,” said Erdogan.
The president reiterated his belief that the killing was ordered by the “highest levels” of Saudi government, but stopped short of suggesting Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved.
“The crown prince says ‘I will clarify the matter, I will do what is necessary’. We are waiting patiently,” he said.
“It must be revealed who gave them the order to murder.”
Turkey has drip-fed information about the killing to other governments and the media as it attempts to maintain pressure on the Saudi authorities.
Erdogan has not revealed any information about the content of the tapes, saying only that they relate to Khashoggi’s killing.