Turkey has been focusing on a well in the garden of Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul as part of its investigation into the killing by Saudi officials of writer Jamal Khashoggi, whose body is still missing.
There were conflicting reports Thursday about whether investigators had searched the well.
Yeni Safak, a pro-government Turkish newspaper, says investigators emptied the well and are awaiting the results of an analysis of the water to determine whether body parts were dumped there. But Sabah, another pro-government newspaper, says Saudi Arabia has yet to give Turkish authorities permission for a search.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday that Ankara had shared information with some parties who sought additional details. He told reporters that Turkey had no intention of taking the case to an international court but would share information if an international inquiry were launched.
Turkish officials have previously said authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting Khashoggi’s killing.
Two sources told Reuters on Thursday that CIA director Gina Haspel has heard the recording during her visit to Turkey this week.
Representatives of the CIA and Turkish intelligence have declined to comment on Haspel’s review of the recording.
Saudi Arabia first denied any involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance on Oct. 2, but a Saudi official eventually attributed his death to a botched attempt to return him to the kingdom.
Turkey has dismissed Saudi efforts to blame rogue operatives and urged the kingdom to search “top to bottom” for those responsible for the killing, which has stirred international outrage and condemnation.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said the Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi leadership was killed in a planned, “savage killing” and has demanded Riyadh punish those responsible, no matter how highly placed.
Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowed on Wednesday that the killers would be brought to justice, in his first public comments on the matter.