Erdoğan: Turkey to announce findings of Khashoggi investigation on Tuesday

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Sunday that he will announce the findings of his country’s investigation into the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday.

The Associated Press reported that Erdoğan will “go into detail” about what Turkish investigators learned in a speech to members of the ruling party in Turkish parliament. Erdoğan added that his country is seeking justice for Khashoggi’s death. 

Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of Saudi leadership, was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.{mosads}

The results of the Turkish investigation into Khashoggi’s death will come four days after Saudi Arabia claimed in an announcement that the Washington Post columnist died in a physical altercation gone wrong at the consulate.

Saudi Arabia announced it had detained 18 people in connection with the incident. The kingdom’s leadership had previously denied it knew what happened to Khashoggi.

The Saudi explanation was promptly met with skepticism from U.S. lawmakers and Khashoggi’s colleagues. They expressed disbelief at the suggestion that the 59-year-old journalist would have engaged in a fistfight with Saudi security personnel, and have questioned what happened to his body.

President Trump called the Saudi account a “good first step,” but acknowledged in an interview with The Washington Post on Saturday that the Saudis have changed their story.

“Obviously there’s been deception and there’s been lies,” Trump said.

The president has vowed consequences for those responsible in Khashoggi’s death, though he has emphasized a desire to leave arms deals between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia untouched.

Lawmakers on Sunday expressed increasing certainty that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind Khashoggi’s death, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggesting he should be removed from power. Others indicated they’d like to see U.S. intelligence officials make a determination in what happened to Khashoggi before determining an appropriate punishment.