Turkey foils Khashoggi murder cover-up: official

By Ilkay Guder, Barıs Gundogan

ANKARA (AA) - Some parties might have planned to cover up the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi or sought to put the blame elsewhere, Turkey’s justice minister said Friday.

Abdulhamit Gul's remarks came following his meeting with the head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations in Ankara.

He said that Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur, was fully informed about the brutal murder.

"Using its judicial and administrative capacity to the fullest, Turkey strove for revealing the truth that violated human rights and rights of living," he said.

"That Saudi Arabia doesn't favor an investigation and isn't open to cooperation surely prevents shedding light on this incident. I hope, this report [by the UN] will increase the international recognition level and contribute to exposing the perpetrators and instigators.

"Maybe, Khashoggi murder was sought to be covered up, or the blame was to be put on others; however, Turkey exposed and revealed all these intentions," he said.

Gul went on to say that Turkey was ready to share collected information with the international community and investigators.

Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post, was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

After producing various contradictory explanations, Riyadh acknowledged he was killed inside the consulate building, blaming the act on a botched rendition operation.

Turkey has sought the extradition of the Saudi citizens involved in the killing as well as a fuller accounting of the killing from Riyadh.