Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on Wednesday, discussing steps needed to shed light on all aspects of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Reuters reported, citing a presidential source.
According to the state-run Anadolu news agency the request for the phone call came from the crown prince.
Addressing a gathering of more than 3,000 business leaders from around the world at the Future Investment Initiative, Saudi Arabia’s signature economic forum, often called “Davos in the Desert,” Mohammed acknowledged no responsibility in the case. He called the killing “a heinous crime” that was “really painful to all Saudis” and to all other people, according to The Washington Post.
A contributing columnist for the Post, the 59-year-old Khashoggi disappeared on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi Consulate General in İstanbul. After weeks of denial the kingdom admitted he had been killed and blamed a “rogue operation.”
It is widely believed that the crown prince was behind the murder.
On Tuesday, President Erdoğan gave a speech in the Turkish parliament indicating that the killing of Khashoggi was premediated but did not mention Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
Meanwhile US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the crown prince bore ultimate responsibility for the operation that led to Khashoggi’s killing. Turkish police were also allowed to extend their probe at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to Reuters.