Turkey eyes Washington for its next Khashoggi move
Even as reports emerge about the death of a suspected member of the Saudi team that allegedly killed Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the steady stream of gory details is losing its shock value while the world waits for Turkey to produce its evidence.
Turkey’s pro-government media continued to publish new sensational allegations concerning dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who vanished at the Saudi Consulate on Oct. 2, triggering international uproar. The latest claim carried by Yeni Safak on its front page was that one of the 15 members of the alleged Saudi hit squad, who it identified as Meshal Saad M. Albostani, a lieutenant in the Saudi air force, had died in a “suspicious traffic accident.” It then acknowledged, “There is no information about the details of the accident that left Albostani dead.”
Indeed, the steady drip-drip of guts and gore, including claims that Khashoggi was tortured, decapitated and dismembered by the men and his remains dissolved in a acid barrels, is beginning to lose its shock effect as the Turkish officials cited as sources have yet to formally disclose any of the information, some of which they say was captured on an audiotape.
US President Donald Trump said yesterday he had asked Turkey to turn over the purported recording. “I am not sure yet that it exists,” he said, but then threw in an added caveat, “Probably does, possibly does.”
Until Turkey goes public with the tape, nobody will know for sure that its exists, let alone that it's authentic.
