EU urges Saudi cooperation with Turkish Khashoggi probe

By Yusuf Hatip

BRUSSELS

The European Commission on Tuesday called on Saudi Arabia to collaborate with Turkish authorities on investigating the killing last month of a journalist at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

"We expect Saudi institutions to provide all the information they have about the case and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. This needs to be done in full collaboration with the Turkish authorities," commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told a press briefing in Brussels.

"From the very beginning we have been asking Saudi Arabia to shed light on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi through a full credible, transparent and prompt investigation," she added.

Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, was killed on Oct. 2.

After weeks of denying involvement, the kingdom admitted that Khashoggi had been killed at the Saudi Consulate but claimed that the Saudi royal family had no prior knowledge of a plot to murder him.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini earlier said: "We expect a thorough investigation and full transparency from the Saudi authorities on what has happened."

In a non-binding resolution on Oct. 25, the European Parliament condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the reported torture and killing of the journalist.

The EP urged an "independent and impartial" international probe of the killing, also warning that targeted sanctions could be imposed if Saudi agents are found guilty in his death.

Last week, Turkish prosecutors announced their preliminary findings, saying Khashoggi was strangled to death in a premeditated killing soon after he entered the consulate.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said Khashoggi's body was disposed of after being dismembered.

Saudi authorities have so far claimed that they do not know the whereabouts of his remains.