Turkish prosecutors issue second indictment against suspected Khashoggi killers
Six Saudi nationals join a growing list of accused as Turkey's trial takes on an international dimension.
Turkish prosecutors issued a second indictment on Monday in connection with the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Six new Saudi nationals were named in the indictment, which was sent to court to be combined with the country’s larger ongoing trial.
Turkey’s case against Khashoggi’s killers began, to the surprise of some experts, in July after there was speculation a trial could not exist without the suspects present. The proceeding is the third wave of action into the murder after a Saudi trial and a more extensive UN investigation wrapped up last year.
The case has quietly taken on an international dimension as Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to welcome coverage of the case and use the trial as a tool against his major regional rival, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The second indictment comes less than one week before the Oct. 2 anniversary of Khashoggi’s visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
“The constant reminder of this case, of this murder, such as with this second indictment, is a way for Erdogan to better his own position vis-a-vis the Saudi monarchy,” said Project on Middle East Democracy Turkey coordinator Merve Tahiroglu.
