ISTANBUL — The Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi was strangled almost as soon as he stepped into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul a month ago, and his body was then dismembered and destroyed, the chief prosecutor for Istanbul said on Wednesday, giving the first official explanation from Turkey of how Mr. Khashoggi died. The announcement came as the Turkish and Saudi chief prosecutors ended three days of meetings as part of a joint investigation into Mr. Khashoggi’s murder without progress and Turkey seemed to be ratcheting up its pressure for answers. The killing of Mr. Khashoggi has significantly raised tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Western intelligence analysts and Turkish officials have maintained that the operation could not have been carried out without the consent of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has refused Turkey’s demand that it extradite 18 Saudi officials who have been detained in their home country in connection with Mr. Khashoggi’s murder so they can stand trial in Turkey.

Source: New York Times October 31, 2018 14:36 UTC