The spokesperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK) Omer Celik said that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi could not have been killed without orders from high Saudi officials, speaking from Ankara on Wednesday.
“This action couldn’t be performed without a permit from high-level officials,” Celic said.
He went on to ask questions about the specifics behind Khashoggi’s death.
“Who performed it and who gave the order. We have to find that. We are not accusing anybody in advance but this isn’t something that can be covered,” he concluded.
“Here are our expectations: First, where is the dead body of Khashoggi, may he rest in peace. The ones who are responsible are in the hands of Saudi officials. It’s been a long time since the incident happened, not to get that information is out of the question. Because the Consul General that was in the building that day has returned back to his country and we know that this information could be taken from him too. Secondly, who is the local collaborator, as it has been said by the Saudi Arabian foreign minister. And third, who gave the order? The whole international community is wondering about that. This action couldn’t be performed without a permit from high level officials. The organisational aspect of the action, the fact that it was pre-organised, which the Saudi prosecutor told us, it shows that it has been planned. The question is when this brutal crime – as our prosecutor says that he was killed immediately after he entered into the consulate and his body was torn apart – was planned, who performed it and who gave the order. We have to find that out. We are not accusing anybody in advance but this isn’t something that can be covered up.”