Turkish Media Fabricated News on Gulf States Amid Khashoggi Case - UAE Minister

DOHA (Sputnik) - Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Anwar Gargash has accused several Turkish media outlets of fabricating news about the Gulf States after reports emerged of Abu Dhabi's involvement in the cover-up of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"Part of the influential Turkish press is engaged in fabricating news about the countries of the Persian Gulf and the Arab states, including the UAE. This experience showed us that rumours and false information have never been the result of logical or responsible conclusion, and they are damaging the source itself and cause a loss of confidence," Gargash wrote on Twitter.

The statement comes after the Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak reported, citing sources, that a group of four people was allegedly sent to Istanbul to cover up the murder of Khashoggi and had been dispatched by former leader of the Palestinian Fatah movement Mohammed Dahlan. The newspaper describes Dahlan as a 'chief hitman' of UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

READ MORE: Khashoggi's Body Parts Possibly Taken Out of Turkey in Suitcases — Minister

On 15 November, the Saudi Prosecutor General's Office said that the journalist had been killed after being injected with a drug, and his body had been dismembered and taken out of the consulate, adding that a total of 21 people had been detained in relation to the case.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, known for his criticism of Saudi policies, went missing on 2 October after entering the Saudi Consulate in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. After initially denying any knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts, Riyadh admitted later in October that the journalist had been killed in a fight inside the consulate.