ANKARA - Turkish President Tayyip Erdoganannounced on Tuesday details of his country's investigation into the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, as skepticism intensified about Saudi Arabia's account that he died accidentally in its consulate in Istanbul.
Speaking to his AK Party at parliament, Erdogan said that there were strong signs that the killing of Khashoggi was planned and that he was killed in a "savage way".
A team of Saudi agents began arriving in Turkey the day before journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed, and cameras at the consulate were removed, Erdogan said.
He said a Saudi team of 15 entered the consulate the day of the killing, and that three men from the team went on an exploration trip to Belgrad forest in Istanbul and Yalova, a 90-kilometre (55 mile) drive south of Istanbul.
Erdogan said he was not satisfied with Saudi Arabia blaming some of its intelligence agents for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and called for suspects to be tried in Istanbul.
Erdogan said that he does not doubt the Saudi King Salman's sincerity, without elaborating. He also said the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body were still unknown and he demanded Saudi Arabia to reveal the identity of a "local cooperator" who purportedly took the body.