Turkey newspaper publishes images of Saudi 'assassination squad'
844 views · Published 15 October 2018 · 0:42 · Indexed 2 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(10 Oct 2018) Turkish media close to the president published images on Wednesday of what it described as a 15-member "assassination squad" allegedly sent to target Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and of a black van later traveling from the Saudi consulate, where he went missing, to the consul's home. The release of the photographs and video raises pressure on Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi disappeared October 2 during a visit to the consulate. The Sabah newspaper, which is close to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, published images of what it referred to as the "assassination squad" apparently taken at passport control. It said they checked into two hotels in Istanbul on October 2 and left later that day. Turkish officials fear that the team killed the writer, who was critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The kingdom has called the allegations "baseless," but has not provided any evidence that Khashoggi left the consulate and did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday. Khashoggi had written a series of columns for the Washington Post that were critical of Saudi Arabia's assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has led a widely publicized drive to reform the Sunni monarchy but has also presided over the arrests of activists and businessmen. Erdogan has not accused Saudi Arabia of being responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance, but has said that if the Saudis have footage of him leaving the consulate they should release it. Saudi Arabia is a major investor in Turkey, despite Ankara's support for the Gulf nation of Qatar, which is under a blockade led by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations. Police and investigators in Turkey typically release video and information through state-run or otherwise government-friendly media outlets, as opposed to holding briefings like those common in Western nations. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/723dacee7d74932d9fd695f3aff1b891
