The story goes on under the ad If the ministry approves, “it will have dire consequences for the idea of justice,” Oderoglu said. All the accused are being tried absent and is believed to be located in Saudi Arabia. On October 2, 2018, Saudi agents killed Washington Post columnist Jamal Kasogi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. What has happened next? (Video: Joyce Lee, Thomas LeGro, Dalton Bennett, John Parks / The Washington Post, Photo: The Washington Post) The prosecutor’s action represents a major turning point for the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the days and months following the assassination, Erdogan, who considered Kasogi a friend, played a leading role in the involvement of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the assassination. Turkey has released recordings, surveillance footage and other material revealing that a group of Saudi agents had traveled to Istanbul and was waiting at the Saudi consulate for Kasogi, a Washington Post columnist. The perpetrators then killed him and dismembered him. His remains were never found. The story goes on under the ad The release of evidence from Turkey – and Erdogan’s outright disgust at the assassination – has sparked international outrage in Saudi Arabia for some time. Recently, as the Turkish economy struggles with inflation exceeding 50%, Erdogan sought better relations with the kingdom as well as other Middle Eastern countries. The trial in Turkey was considered by some to be symbolic as the defendants were absent. However, the trial was conducted in public, with witnesses testifying, as opposed to a closed-door trial in Saudi Arabia, Oderoglu said. But in recent months, he added, it has become clear that Turkey is no longer interested in pursuing the case. The court had refused to consider as evidence a US intelligence report showing that the Saudi successor had “approved” the operation that led to Kasogi’s death. “The recent diplomatic rapprochement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia has heightened our skepticism about seeking justice in Turkey,” Oderoglu said, adding that the “international community” was also reluctant to seek accountability. The story goes on under the ad In court on Thursday, prosecutors noted the missing and said attempts to pursue them through Interpol were fruitless, Oderoglu said. Turkish officials have repeatedly denied that the judiciary is prone to government pressure. The next hearing is scheduled for April 7. Saudi Arabia said in September 2020 that it had convicted eight people of murder, but did not name them. Saudi officials have denied that Kasogi’s assassination was ordered. Hatice Cengiz, Kasogi’s fiancée, also attended the hearing on Thursday. In a message posted later on Twitter, she wrote about the decision facing the Turkish Ministry of Justice “showing the dilemma facing humanity in modern times”. “Which of the two will we choose?” she wrote. “To want to live as a virtuous person or to build a life by keeping material interests above all kinds of values. #justiceforjamal. “ Zeynep Karatas contributed to this report.
