A Turkish prosecutor in connection with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, has asked a court to halt the trial in absentia trial of 26 Saudi suspects and transfer the case to Saudi authorities.
The Turkish prosecutor said, “The case has been dragging because the court orders cannot be executed on the grounds that the suspects are foreign nationals.”
The trial was adjourned with the judge’s panel giving no ruling on the prosecutor’s request. The panel decided to seek the opinion of the Justice Ministry of Turkey on the possibility of transfer of the case to the Saudi judicial authorities through a letter.
About the Khashoggi case
Jamal Khashoggi was a prominent Saudi journalist who served various Saudi news organisations for decades. At one point in his life, he was close to the Saudi royal family and also served as an adviser to the government. But in 2017 he assumed a self-exile after he wrote a column in the Washington Post critical of the policies of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
On 28th September 2018: Khashoggi visited the Saudi consulate to obtain a Saudi document that would allow him to marry his Turkish fiancée in Istanbul. However, he was told that he would get his document on the second of October’18. On 2nd October 2018: He arrived at the consulate with his Turkish fiancée Hatice Cengiz who accompanied him to the entrance of the consulate.
He never walked out of the consulate and was never found again in flesh. According to Turkish officials, Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents and his body was dismembered and removed. His remains were never found.
Developments made so far
On 15 November: Saudi Arabia’s deputy public prosecutor Shalaan al-Shalaan admitted that the murder was ordered and orchestrated by the head of a negotiations team sent to Istanbul by the Saudi deputy intelligence chief. The order was to bring Khashoggi back to the kingdom by employing persuasion or by force.
In January 2019: In connection with Khashoggi’s murder, 11 people were put on trial at the Riyadh Criminal Court. The public prosecutor sought the death penalty for five of them. However, a US intelligence report released stated that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved the operation to kill or capture Khashoggi.
The Saudi government and the crown denied any involvement by the crown prince and rejected the report’s findings. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by stating his dissatisfaction with the Saudi Arabia trials launched a new investigation into the murder putting all 26 Saudis on in absentia trial.
However, Turkey at present is in the midst of a new economic crisis and is seeking out foreign investments to bail out its bankrupting economy. For its survival, it has reached out even to regional rivals: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
At this critical junction Turkey with inflation surging to more than 50 per cent, has revised its hue and tone for Saudi to save its dying economy. This present development glimmers a hope of survival for Turkey as this ease the tense Saudi relation.
Published By: Apoorva Wakodikar
Edited By: Subbuthai Padma
