Istanbul: Here is a timeline of events since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate on October 2.
– ‘Murdered’ –
On October 2, Washington Post contributor Khashoggi is recorded on camera entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. According to his fiancee he went there to collect a document for his upcoming marriage.
In an interview published on October 5, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman maintains Khashoggi entered the consulate but came out shortly afterwards.
The next day a source close to the Turkish government says police believe the journalist was murdered inside the consulate “by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day”.
Riyadh calls the claim “baseless”.
– Grim details –
On October 7 The Washington Post cites a US official saying Khashoggi’s body “was likely dismembered, removed in boxes and flown out of the country”.
Turkish pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak reports on October 17 that Khashoggi was tortured before being decapitated inside the consulate, saying it had heard audio recordings of the event.
The New York Times says a suspect identified by Turkey in the disappearance was in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s inner circle. Three other suspects are linked to his security detail.
– Saudi acknowledges murder –
US President Donald Trump says on October 18 he now believes Khashoggi is dead and warns of “very severe” consequences should Saudi Arabia be proven responsible.
Two days later Riyadh finally admits Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate after talks deteriorated into a “brawl”.
The public prosecutor says 18 Saudi nationals have been detained.
Riyadh simultaneously announces the sacking of top intelligence official Ahmad al-Assiri and royal media advisor Saud al-Qahtani, both top aides to the crown prince.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir tells Fox News on October 21 the operation was not ordered by the crown prince.
– ‘Total fiasco’ –
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 23 says the “savage” murder of Khashoggi had been planned for days in advance and carried out by a 15-person team that came from Riyadh.
Trump ridicules the kingdom’s response as “one of the worst” cover-ups in history. “It was a total fiasco,” he later added.
– ‘Repulsive incident’-
On October 24 Erdogan speaks with Prince Mohammed in their first telephone conversation since the killing, discussing their “joint efforts” in investigating the case, a Turkish presidential source says.
And in his first public comments since October 2, the crown prince addresses the investment summit in Riyadh, denouncing Khashoggi’s murder and vowing “justice will prevail”.
“The incident was very painful for all Saudis, it’s a repulsive incident and no one can justify it,” he says.
On October 25, Saudi Arabia’s public prosector says the murder was “premeditated”, based on information supplied by Turkey.
In a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, he says the public prosecution “continues its investigation”.
– ‘Strangled’ and ‘dismembered’ –
On October 26 Istanbul’s chief prosecutor prepares a request for the 18 suspects to be extradited to Turkey.
However the Saudi foreign minister insists that “the individuals are Saudi nationals. They’re detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia.”
On October 29, Saudi Arabia’s chief prosecutor arrives in Istanbul for talks with his Turkish counterparts.
On October 31, only an hour after the Saudi prosecutor leaves the city, the Turkish prosecutor says Khashoggi was “strangled” as soon as he entered the consulate and then “dismembered” as part of a “premeditated” plan.
It is the first public confirmation of such details after gruesome reports in Turkish media.
The Turkish prosecutor’s office says it was “obliged” to reveal the details after the talks with their Saudi counterpart produced “no concrete results”.
[source_without_link]Agence France-Presse[/source_without_link]