INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Tayyip Erdogan demanded Saturday that Saudi Arabia extradite suspects in the killing in Istanbul of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, taking to
task the kingdom's crown prince who was basking in his quick return to the world stage at the G20.Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's
presence at the summit of the Group of 20 powers in Buenos Aires demonstrated he was firmly in control, as he met with Western leaders and
sealed an oil pact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.But the Turkish leader, also attending the G20, was visibly cooler toward the
33-year-old prince and on Saturday directly criticized him for the first time over the killing of Khashoggi, a royal confidant turned
critic.Saudi Arabia has said that 21 people are in custody and vowed to keep probing the killing of Khashoggi, who was killed and
are tried in Turkey in order to eliminate any question marks that the international community may have," Erdogan told reporters in Buenos
Aires."Whoever has ordered and implemented this violent crime should be found out at once
Unless the perpetrators are found out, the whole world and the Islamic community shall not be satisfied."Erdogan said the Saudis have
refused to help Turkish prosecutors with information on the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body and the identities of accomplices said to have
supported the visiting Saudi hit squad.The Islamist-oriented Turkish leader, who has been vying for influence in the region with Saudi
Arabia, said he did "not wish to cause any damage" to the royal family.But he criticized Prince Mohammed, saying that during the summit the
Saudi heir apparent gave an "unbelievable explanation" on Khashoggi's killing.The prince told world leaders that "unless the crime is
proven, you cannot blame Saudi Arabia," Erdogan quoted him as saying."Of course, that might be valid from a legal point of view," Erdogan
"But his own officials have admitted that this was a planned operation."Only Canada raises caseErdogan said that only one G20 leader --
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -- raised the journalist's killing in the full summit.Erdogan said that he himself did not bring up
the case as time ran out in the session.Both French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May said they raised the
Khashoggi case during private meetings with the crown prince, with Macron overheard on an open microphone telling him, "You never listen to
me."Canada has been outspoken on human rights in Saudi Arabia, which has retaliated by breaking off diplomatic relations and vowing to end
trade.But US President Donald Trump has said that it does not matter if the crown prince ordered the killing of Khashoggi, who lived near
Washington, because the kingdom is a major buyer of arms, supplier of oil and opponent of Iran.In a nod to growing criticism at home on
Saudi Arabia, Trump only exchanged "pleasantries" with the crown prince, according to the White House.But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met
with his Saudi counterpart in Buenos Aires, and again defended the US embrace of the crown prince."There's no direct evidence linking him to
crown prince ordered the killing, even if there is no "smoking gun" evidence.The Wall Street Journal, quoting the CIA assessment, said
Saturday that Prince Mohammed sent at least 11 messages in the hours before the killing to a close adviser charged with overseeing the
murder.The crown prince enjoyed a buoyant welcome at the G20 on Friday from Putin, the two exchanging a high-five and grinning broadly as if
they were long-lost friends.Putin said he had agreed with Prince Mohammed to renew a pact on cutting oil production by their two nations,
the world's leading exporters of crude.Analysts had been touting a Russia-Saudi deal ahead of talks next week in Vienna of the OPEC oil
cartel, as global crude prices have been slumping.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff
and is published from a syndicated feed.)
