Khashoggi murder: Turkey to seek extradition of Saudi suspects

Turkey will officially demand from Saudi Arabia the extradition of 18 suspects in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Turkish justice ministry said on Friday.  

In a statement, the ministry said Istanbul prosecutors have prepared a requisition for 18 suspects on charges of planned and deliberate murder with monstrosity and torture. 

The ministry referred the extradition request for the suspects, all of whom are Saudi nationals, to Turkey's foreign ministry.

Turkey's Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said the extradition requests had been sent to Turkey’s foreign affairs ministry to deliver to Saudi Arabia.

Khashoggi went missing on October 2, when he was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. 

After weeks of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate building. 

Where is Khashoggi's body? - Erdogan asks Saudis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday called on Saudi Arabia to disclose the location of the body of slain journalist and said Turkey had more information about the case than it has shared so far.

Turkish police have been investigating the case, and Erdogan has said the 18 arrested in Saudi Arabia over the killing should be sent to Turkey to face trial. 

TRT World's Christine Pirovolakis reports.

Erdogan also said Riyadh needs to disclose the identity of the "local collaborator" who purportedly took Khashoggi's body from Saudi agents after the journalist was killed at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

Speaking to provincial members of his governing AK Party in parliament, Erdogan said Saudi's public prosecutor was due to meet the Istanbul prosecutor in Istanbul early next week.

"They (the Saudis) are sending the chief prosecutor on Sunday to Turkey," he said, adding that Riyadh must hand over the people it arrested in the case to be tried in Turkey.