ISTANBUL, October 28. /TASS/. Turkey is ready to launch legal proceedings into Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder if Saudi Arabia is reluctant to do so, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told reporters.
"The crime was committed in Istanbul, so if Saudi Arabia fails to continue its legal proceedings, the Turkish justice system will initiate them," he said.
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi Arabia's current policy, left his home country and moved to the United States in 2017. The journalist wrote articles for The Washington Post, analyzing the situation in Saudi Arabia and the country's foreign policy, and criticizing Riyadh.
The journalist arrived in the consulate general of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on October 2 to complete paperwork to marry a Turkish citizen and has not been in contact since then. On October 20, Saudi authorities announced that the journalist had been killed while visiting the consulate. Saudi Arabia's Public Prosecutor Saud Al-Moajab declared that 18 Saudi nationals were under investigation, without disclosing their names. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Khashoggi’s murder had been thoroughly planned.
The international community has strongly condemned the murder and urged Riyadh to carry out a transparent investigation.
