Turkey: CHP seeks committee probe on missing journalist

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

Turkey's main opposition party on Friday demanded a probe of the case of a journalist who went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul earlier this month.

Engin Ozkoc, Engin Altay and Ozgur Ozel, deputy chairs of the Republican People's Party (CHP), submitted to the Parliament Speaker’s Office a petition seeking a committee to probe the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The petition said such a committee would help protect Turkey's reputation.

In the petition, the CHP criticized the Saudi consul for leaving Turkey this Tuesday, in the midst of a police probe.

"The unserious attitude shown by Saudi Consul General in Istanbul Mohammad al-Otaibi and the Saudi government is thought provoking," said the petition.

Since Khashoggi went missing on Oct. 2, speculation has mounted that he was killed by Saudi authorities, who have yet to provide a convincing explanation for his disappearance.

Meanwhile, several countries -- including Turkey, the U.S. and the U.K. -- have pressed Riyadh for clarification.