Turkey seeks arrest of two former aides to Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing
- Turkish court has approved arrest warrants for former royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani and former deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri
Turkey is seeking the arrest of two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who were dismissed amid the fallout from the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency said a court approved arrest warrants for former royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani and former deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri, who are believed to have overseen the team that killed and dismembered Khashoggi at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate in October. Saudi authorities say the agents who killed Khashoggi exceeded their authority.
The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s Tuesday court application says there is “strong suspicion” the two aides were involved in planning the killing.
Turkey has been seeking to extradite 18 suspects, including 15 members of the alleged assassination squad. The government says a trial in Turkey would provide transparency and accountability, and says Saudi authorities have not fully cooperated with the probe.
Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol, a senior Turkish official familiar with the investigation said the arrest warrants reflect Turkey’s view that Saudi Arabia will not hold the suspects accountable.
“The international community seems to doubt Saudi Arabia’s commitment to prosecute this heinous crime,” the official said, adding that by extraditing all suspects to Turkey, “Saudi authorities could address those concerns.”