Erdogan’s Naked Truth Revelations Fall Short
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Addressing Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday about Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal abduction, torture and murder inside the Saudi’s Istanbul consulate, Erdogan’s revelations fell far short of promised “naked truth.”
He failed to hold crown prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) responsible for what he clearly ordered, no one else.
There’s no ambiguity about it. He rules with an iron fist, no one but himself making domestic and geopolitical decisions, including about the elimination of prominent journalist Khashoggi, living in America, visiting Turkey, a former kingdom insider.
Sounding like Trump, Erdogan shamefully said “Saudi authorities have taken an important step confirming the killing, and now we ask Saudi authorities to work hard to reveal the names of those involved, from the bottom to the top.”
His remarks were largely weak-kneed, less than candid, wanting to avoid a rupture in relations with Riyadh and the West, adding:
“There are…questions in every mind. Why did those 15 people gather in Istanbul on the day they committed the crime and…according to instructions given to them by whom? We need to know.”
“Leaving some intelligence and security forces holding the bag will not satisfy either us or the international community.”
He scoffed at the idea of Riyadh investigating itself. The kingdom has gone all-out to distance MBS and king Salman from what happened, shifting blame to lower-level officials, sacking and arresting some to shield Riyadh’s ruling authorities.
He laughably said “I don’t doubt the sincerity of king Salman. But, it’s very important that such a critical investigation should be run by a really impartial and fair committee which is not related to the murder.”
“The human conscience will be satisfied only when the person who gave the orders and the people who implemented them are brought to account.”
Erdogan accused lower level Saudi officials of premeditated “gruesome murder…a planned operation,” he said, adding Turkish investigators continue trying to learn who ordered it – knowing full well where culpability lies, stopping short of stating what’s clear to the international community.
His address included virtually nothing already revealed by Turkish officials earlier, his remarks far from what he promised days earlier.
MBS dispatched high-level security and intelligence officials to murder Khashoggi in Istanbul, believing he’d remain free from accountability.
Erdogan wants (lower-level) Saudis responsible for the incident extradited to stand trial in Turkey, saying:
“I’m making a call today. This call is to the highest-level (Saudi) executives. The incident took place in Istanbul.”
“Therefore, the adjudication of these 15 plus three people should be carried out in Istanbul. That’s my proposal. The decision is at (king Salman’s) discretion, but this is my proposal. This is where the incident occurred.”
Following Erdogan’s address, the world community still waits to hear the “naked truth” he failed to reveal as promised on Tuesday.
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
