Khashoggi

Facing global outrage over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi officials are now acknowledging that the journalist was targeted inside the kingdom's consulate in Turkey and a body double was on hand to aid in a cover-up - the latest twist in the kingdom's evolving efforts to explain Khashoggi's death.

This was told to Sputnik by the leader of the opposition Turkish party Vatan, Dogu Perincek, who claims to have learned it from reliable sources.

On the other hand, Turkish President Recep Erdogan claims that the body has not been found.

Saudi Arabia opened an investment conference on Oct. 23 despite a wave of cancellations from policymakers and business titans over the murder of journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi.

Two senior Turkish officials revealed the existence of an object that may provide important clues to the fate of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who disappeared in Istanbul last week: The black Apple watch he was wearing when he entered his country's consulate.

A Turkish newspaper published photos on Oct. 10 of what it said was a 15 member “assassination squad” allegedly sent to target Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last week. The report by the Sabah newspaper published images and names of the men apparently taken at passport control on Oct.

A person close to the investigation shared with The Washington Post a still from a closed circuit television camera he said showed Jamal Khashoggi's last known seconds, as he stepped inside the consulate door. The Turkish text on the bottom right of the image says "Jamal Khashoggi comes to the consulate."

Saudi Arabian officials must prove that journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since last week, had left the Istanbul consulate, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 7 he was "personally" following the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared last week, and added that he still hoped for a positive outcome to the matter.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Yemeni Tawakkol Karman holds a picture of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a demonstration in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate, on Oct. 5, 2018 in Istanbul. OZAN KOSE / AFP

Prominent Saudi critic and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi is missing in Turkey after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkish-Arab Media Association said in a written statement on Oct. 2.