CIA Director Gina Haspel, in Turkey to investigate the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has sought to hear a purported audio recording of his torture and murder, four sources familiar with her mission told Reuters on Tuesday.
Haspel arrived in Turkey on Monday to gather hard evidence on Khashoggi’s murder, commissioned to develop a US account of the incident.
According to the Turkish officials quoted in global media outlets, Turkey has an audio recording proving that Saudi officials in the consulate brutally killed the 59-year-old journalist.
Reuters also published a story based on the Turkish sources suggesting that Saud al-Qahtani, a top aide to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had orchestrated the killing via a Skype call and that the Turkish government intercepted that call.
On Tuesday President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed that the Saudis planned the murder before Khashoggi’s arrival at the consulate but did not mention an audio recording.
Despite extensive news leaks claiming that Turkey has an audio recording documenting Khashoggi’s demise, neither the US nor allied government agencies had been granted access as of late Monday to such evidence, Western security officials told Reuters.
US President Donald Trump on Oct. 17 said they had received no audio recordings from Turkey.
Haspel will not visit Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters.
