Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) Recordings related to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death have been passed on to Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.

Khashoggi was killed after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain paperwork for his marriage.

Speaking before his departure to Paris for World War I commemorations, Erdogan said: "We passed on the recordings. We gave them to Saudi Arabia, to America, to the Germans, French and the English -- we gave them all."

He did not elaborate on what was on the recordings.

US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sat next to each other at the dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron Saturday evening in Paris.

Erdogan said the killer, or killers, would be known to the 18 suspects identified by Turkish authorities -- including 15 men who arrived from Saudi Arabia shortly before Khashoggi's death.

Read More </s> Officials from Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany, France and Britain have listened to audio recordings related to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey’s president said.

In the first public acknowledgement of the existence of tapes of the killing, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also told reporters that Saudi Arabia had to “act fairly” and disclose those responsible for the October 2 killing of The Washington Post journalist to rid itself of “suspicion”.

“We gave them the tapes. We gave them to Saudi Arabia, to America, to the Germans, the French, to the British, to all of them,” Mr Erdogan said before departing for Paris to attend ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

“They (Saudi officials) also listened to the conversations and they know. There is no need to distort this. They know for certain who among the 15 is the killer or are the killers,” he said.

He was referring to an alleged 15-member assassination squad that Turkey believes was sent to kill Mr Khashoggi at the consulate where he had arrived to obtain papers to marry his Turkish fiancee. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saudi Arabia had to ‘act fairly’ (Ian Langsdon/Pool Photo via AP)

CIA director Gina Haspel, who visited Turkey last month for information on the investigation, is reported to have heard the audio recordings of the killing.

The existence of the recordings was leaked to the media but never openly confirmed until now.

Turkey says Mr Khashoggi, who was critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was strangled and dismembered at the consulate as part of a premeditated killing.

Media reports have suggested that his body could have been chemically dissolved.

Turkey is seeking the extradition of 18 suspects who have been detained in Saudi Arabia, so they can be put on trial in Turkey. They include the 15 members of the alleged assassination squad.

Saudi Arabia had insisted for weeks after Mr Khashoggi disappeared that he had walked out of the consulate, before changing its account to say he died in a brawl.

Last month, Saudi Arabia acknowledged that Turkish evidence indicates that Mr Khashoggi’s killing was premeditated, shifting its explanation in an apparent effort to ease international outrage over the death.

Saudi officials characterise the killing as a rogue operation carried out by Saudi agents who exceeded their authority.

Yet some of those implicated in the killing are close to the crown prince, including a member of the prince’s entourage on foreign trips who was seen at the consulate before Mr Khashoggi’s slaying.

Mr Erdogan accused Saudi Arabia’s chief prosecutor, who was sent to Istanbul last month as part of a joint probe, of employing “delaying tactics”.

“Saudi Arabia needs to accept that (the killer) is among the 18 and needs to get rid of the suspicion by responding to Turkey’s good will and acting fairly,” Mr Erdogan said. </s> PARIS — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday became the first Western leader to acknowledge his country had received the recordings of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"Canada has been fully briefed up on what Turkey had to share," Trudeau said from the Canadian Embassy in Paris, where he was attending the Peace Forum following the WWI Armistice centenary.

On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had given recordings "to Saudi Arabia, to America, to the Germans, the French, to the British, to all of them."

The Canadian leader is the first since that announcement to officially confirm that his country's intelligence had listened to the audio.

Trudeau said that he himself had not heard them, and he wouldn't give any details on the contents of the tapes.

Trudeau said he thanked Erdogan for "his strength in responding to the Khashoggi situation" at the sidelines of the Paris ceremonies this weekend.

France's account of Erdogan's claim to have shared the tapes differs somewhat.

When questioned on France 2 television Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that Turkey has "not to my knowledge" given the French government any such recordings, and suggesting the Turks were playing games.

"If the Turkish president has information to give to us, he must give it to us," Le Drian said.

"That means he has a political game in this situation," Le Drian added, referring to Erdogan.

CIA Director Gina Haspel, who visited Turkey last month for information on the investigation, is reported to have heard the audio recordings of the killing. The existence of the recordings was leaked to the media but never openly confirmed until last week.

Turkey says Khashoggi, who was critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was strangled and dismembered at the consulate as part of a premeditated killing. Media reports have suggested that his body could have been chemically dissolved.

Saudi Arabia insisted for weeks after Khashoggi disappeared that he had walked out of the consulate, before changing its account to say he died in a brawl.

Subsequently, Saudi Arabia acknowledged that Turkish evidence indicates that Khashoggi's killing was premeditated, shifting its explanation in an apparent effort to ease international outrage over the death.

Saudi officials characterize the killing as a rogue operation carried out by Saudi agents who exceeded their authority. Yet some of those implicated in the killing are close to the crown prince, including a member of the prince's entourage on foreign trips who was seen at the consulate before Khashoggi's slaying.

On Monday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt became the first British minister to visit Saudi Arabia since the Oct. 2 killing. He met with King Salman and was expected to meet the crown prince and press Saudi authorities to fully cooperate with Turkish investigators. </s> Speaking at a press conference in Paris on Monday, where he attended a peace forum following the WWI Armistice centenary, Trudeau said Canadian intelligence had listened to the audio tape provided by Turkish intelligence, but he had not done so

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has become the first Western leader to acknowledge that his country's intelligence received an audio recording of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that he gave recordings "to Saudi Arabia, to America, to the Germans, the French, to the British, to all of them", but there was no independent confirmation from any country that they had received it.

Speaking at a press conference in Paris on Monday, where he attended a peace forum following the WWI Armistice centenary, Trudeau said Canadian intelligence had listened to the audio tape provided by Turkish intelligence, but he had not done so, according to a report in the Guardian.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and a supporter-turned-critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 after he went there to get documents for his forthcoming marriage.

"Canada's intelligence agencies have been working very closely on this issue with Turkish intelligence and Canada has been fully briefed on what Turkey had to share," he said.

"I had a conversation with Erdogan a couple of weeks ago, and here in Paris we had brief exchanges and I thanked him for his strength in responding to the Khashoggi situation."

On the other hand, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that recordings related to Khashoggi's murder were not to his knowledge in his country's possession, contradicting Erdogan.

Later, on being asked on France 2 television why the Turkish President had made the claim, Le Drian said: "It means he has a political game to play in these circumstances. If the Turkish President has information to give to us, he must give it to us."

Asked about the existence of a tape, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said: " I can tell you that there has been an exchange of intelligence service information on that." He declined to give any further details.

According to the daily, the British sources previously said they had been briefed on the contents of an alleged tape, but due to the sensitivity of intelligence exchanges, they refused to elaborate.

Khashoggi's body is yet to be found. It has been reported that he was strangled, dismembered and his body dissolved in chemicals.

After a weeks-long denial, Saudi Arabia admitted on October 25 that the journalist fell victim to a premeditated killing in the consulate and arrested 18 people. However, it denies the ruling royal family's involvement in the killing.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Except for the change in the headline, the story has been provided "AS-IS," "AS AVAILABLE, without any verification or editing from our side. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever. </s> PARIS—Justin Trudeau says Canadian intelligence officials have listened to a recording of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The prime minister said he has not personally heard the recordings Turkey provided to Saudi Arabia along with allies such as the U.S. and Britain in recent days, though he said he has been fully briefed on its contents.

“Canada has been fully briefed up on what Turkey had to share,” said Trudeau during a press conference at the Canadian embassy in Paris. He said he brought up the subject during a recent phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and briefly again when the two met this weekend in Paris.

His killing has received widespread condemnation, including from Trudeau himself, but Trudeau didn’t say how the recordings have affected his thoughts on repercussions for the Saudis. “We continue to be engaged with our allies on the investigation into accountability for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and we are in discussion with our like-minded allies as to next steps towards Saudi Arabia,” he said. </s> Saudi Arabia has admitted Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside its consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Khashoggi - a Saudi writer, US resident and Washington Post columnist - entered the building on October 2 to obtain documentation certifying he had divorced his ex-wife so he could remarry.

After weeks of repeated denials that it had anything to do with his disappearance, the kingdom eventually acknowledged that the murder was premeditated. The whereabouts of his body are still unknown.

Here are the latest developments:

Trump and Macron say Saudi must give details on Khashoggi killing - report

US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, agreed on Saturday that Saudi Arabia needs to shed full light on the events surrounding Khashoggi's murder, Reuters news agency reported, citing a French presidency source.

The two leaders also said the issue should not be allowed to cause further destabilisation in the Middle East and that it could create an opportunity to find a political resolution to the war in Yemen, the official said.

Trump and Macron are in Paris to commemorate the end of World War I.

Erdogan: Turkey shared Khashoggi tapes with Saudi, US and others

Turkey has given recordings on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany, France and Britain, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

Turkish sources have said previously that authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting the murder.

Speaking before his departure for France to attend commemorations to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One, Erdogan said Saudi Arabia knows the killer of Jamal Khashoggi is among a group of 15 people who arrived in Turkey one day ahead of the October 2 killing.

"We gave the tapes. We gave them to Saudi Arabia, to the United States, Germans, French and British, all of them. They have listened to all the conversations in them. They know,"Erdogan said.

Turkish police are ending the search for the journalist's body, but the criminal investigation into the Saudi journalist's murder will continue, sources told Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera has learned on Friday that traces of acid were found at the Saudi consul-general's residence in Istanbul, where the body was believed to be disposed of with use of chemicals.

The residence is at walking distance from the Saudi consulate, where Khashoggi was allegedly killed by a team of Saudi officers and officials.

Istanbul's chief prosecutor said on October 31 that Khashoggi was strangled as soon as he entered the consulate and that his body was dismembered, in the first official comments on the case.

Norway announced on Friday that it was suspending new licenses for arms exports to Saudi Arabia following recent developments in the Gulf kingdom and the situation in Yemen.

"We have decided that in the present situation, we will not give new licenses for the export of defence material or multipurpose goods for military use to Saudi Arabia," Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said in a statement.

While Khashoggi's murder was not mentioned, the statement said the decision had been taken following "a broad assessment of recent developments in Saudi Arabia and the unclear situation in Yemen".

The announcement came a week after Norway's foreign minister summoned the Saudi ambassador to Oslo to protest Khashoggi's assassination.

Germany said last month that it would halt its arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the killing of Khashoggi was explained.

Khashoggi's fiancee shocked by reports his body was dissolved

Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi's fiancee, has expressed "shock and sadness" over reports suggesting that his body may have been dissolved with chemicals.

Cengiz said on Twitter late Thursday that Khashoggi's killers had deprived his loved ones of conducting funeral prayers and burying him in the holy city of Medina as he had wished.

In a message to The Associated Press on Friday, Cengiz said she has not received any information from officials to confirm the reports.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told a group of American evangelical leaders earlier this month that those responsible for Khashoggi's killing would be punished.

He also stressed that the crisis must not shift focus away from Iran's threat to the region and the world, according to the delegation's organiser.

In an article posted on Axios, a news website, Barak Ravid of Israel's Channel 10 news quotes Joel Rosenberg as saying bin Salman accused his "enemies" of exploiting Khashoggi's murder, which he called a "heinous act".

Axios: MBS met US evangelicals, said Khashoggi's killers would be punished

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told a group of American evangelical leaders on November 1 that those responsible for Khashoggi's killing would be punished but stressed that the crisis must not shift focus away from Iran's threat to the region and the world, according to the delegation's organiser.

In an article posted on Axios, a news website, Barak Ravid of Israel's Channel 10 news quotes Joel

Rosenberg as saying bin Salman accused his "enemies" of exploiting Khashoggi's murder, which he called a "heinous act".

The meeting, which lasted some two hours, was scheduled before the Khashoggi crisis erupted.

A source in the Turkish attorney general's office told Al Jazeera that the investigative team found traces of hydrofluoric acid and other chemicals inside a well at the Saudi consul general's home in Istanbul.

The source said the killers dissolved the journalist's dismembered body in acid in one of the rooms at Consul General Mohammed al-Otaibi's residence.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from Istanbul, said the residence was searched by Turkish investigators two weeks after the killing.

"It would appear, according to the source that during that two week period, acid was used to dispose of the dismembered body of Jamal Khashoggi."

Israeli spyware technology may have been used to track down, kill Khashoggi: Snowden

Software made by Israeli-based cybersecurity firm NSO Group Technologies may have been used to track down Khashoggi, fugitive US whistle-blower Edward Snowden told an Israeli audience via video conference.

Snowden said the phone of one of Khashoggi's friends, Omar Abdulaziz - who lives in exile in Canada - had been infected with NSO's Pegasus spyware. The whistle-blower, who now lives in Russia, said the software allowed Saudis to collect information about Khashoggi through Abdulaziz.

"The Saudis, of course, knew that Khashoggi was going to go to the consulate, as he got an appointment. But how did they know his intention and plans?"

"[NSO Group] is the worst of the worst in selling these burglary tools, that are being actively used to violate the human rights of dissidents, opposition figures, activists, to some pretty bad players," Snowden said, "but they are not alone."

US President Donald Trump has said he will have a "much stronger opinion" on the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "over the next week".

Trump said he is working with the US Congress, Turkey and Saudi Arabia on solving the October 2 killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

"I am forming a very strong opinion," the US president said during a press conference at the White House.

Saudi Arabia's king has begun a domestic tour with a first stop in the conservative heartland of Qassim province, where he pardoned prisoners serving time on finance charges and announced 16bn riyals - about $4.27bn - in new projects.

This is King Salman's first such tour since he ascended to the throne in 2015 and comes as the kingdom faces international pressure following the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last month.

The state-run news agency reported on Wednesday that the government would pay debts of up to 1m riyals, or $267 000, on behalf of each of the pardoned prisoners.

CIA chief has seen all evidence in relation to Khashoggi murder - source

A Turkish security source has told Al Jazeera that CIA Director Gina Haspel has seen all the evidence related to Khashoggi's killing.

The evidence proves the operation was carried out on orders from the highest level of leadership in Saudi Arabia, the source added.

Haspel was in Turkey last week to review evidence before briefing US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC.

Turkish sources also said that Saudi Arabia would pay "blood money" or compensation to Khashoggi's family and his fiancee.

Turkish media have reported that staff at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul tried to dismantle security cameras to help cover up the murder of Khashoggi.

The pro-government Sabah newspaper reported that the Saudis tried to rip out the camera inside the consulate on October 2, the day Khashoggi was murdered.

They also tried to tamper with cameras at the police security booth outside the building.

According to the report, at 01:00 on October 6, a consulate member staff went into the police security post outside the Saudi consulate to access the video system.

Sabah reported that the staff member put a digital lock code into the system, which did not dismantle any cameras but rather was intended to prevent access to any videos showing movement at the entrance, including Khashoggi's arrival at the consulate.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons reporting from Istanbul said that their attempt was, in any case, irrelevant because the police had already deciphered the coding and accessed the system, retrieving a copy of the video well ahead of the attempt of tampering.

"All of this demonstrates, according to Turkish officials, in terms of the ... whole set of procedures, that there was an effort by the Saudi Arabian consulate to once again tamper with evidence," Simmons said.

"This follows a pattern of leaks which demonstrate beyond any doubt, according to the Turks, that the Saudis weren't out to investigate a murder, they were out to cover it up."

Khashoggi's sons appeal for return of his body

The sons of the slain Saudi journalist issued an appeal for the return of their father's body and said they wanted to return to Saudi Arabia to bury him.

In an interview with CNN, Salah and Abdullah Khashoggi said without their father's body, their family is unable to grieve and deal with the emotional burden of their father's death.

"It's not a normal situation, it's not a normal death at all. All what we want right now is to bury him in Al-Baqi [cemetery] in Medina [Saudi Arabia] with the rest of his family," Salah Khashoggi said.

"I talked about that with the Saudi authorities and I just hope that it happens soon."

Salah Khashoggi on October 24 met the crown prince and King Salman in Riyadh to receive condolences along with other Khashoggi family members. Salah departed for Washington a day later, and his CNN interview was his first public comment since then.

He said King Salman assured him those involved in Khashoggi's murder would be brought to justice.

"We just need to make sure that he rests in peace," Salah Khashoggi said of his father. "Until now, I still can't believe that he's dead. It's not sinking in with me emotionally," he said, adding there had been a lot of "misinformation" about the circumstances of the death.

Salah said accusations that his father was a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation were not true.

Asked how Khashoggi should be remembered, Salah replied, "As a moderate man who has common values with everyone ... a man who loved his country, who believed so much in it and its potential."

"Jamal was never a dissident. He believed in the monarchy, that it is the thing that is keeping the country together. And he believed in the transformation that it is going through."

Countries gathered at the UN in Geneva to review Saudi Arabia's rights record as it faces a torrent of international condemnation over Khashoggi's murder.

Monday's so-called Universal Periodic Review - which all 193 UN member states must undergo every four years - is likely to also focus on Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen's brutal civil war. Washington, which has long backed the Saudi-led coalition, called last week for an end to air attacks in the country.

The Saudi delegation in Geneva will be headed by Bandar Al Aiban, who serves as the head of the country's Human Rights Commission.

The delegation will present a report over the country's efforts to live up to its international human rights obligations and will respond to questions and comments from countries around the world on its record.

Activists are urging countries not to hold back.

"UN member states must end their deafening silence on Saudi Arabia and do their duty of scrutinising the cruelty in the kingdom in order to prevent further outrageous human rights violations in the country and in Yemen," Samah Hadid, Amnesty International's Middle East director of campaigns, said in a statement.

"The Saudi government's long-standing repression of critics, exemplified by the extrajudicial execution of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last month, has until recently been wilfully ignored by UN member states."

A number of countries have already submitted lists of detailed questions for the review, including direct questions from Britain, Austria and Switzerland on the Khashoggi case.

Sweden, meanwhile, is planning to ask: "What measures will be taken to improve the respect for the freedom of expression and the safety of journalists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?"

Click here for all previous updates </s> PARIS, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Canadian intelligence has listened to Turkish recordings of what happened to Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist killed in Istanbul, said Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, although Trudeau added that he himself had not listened to them.

Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate by a team sent from Riyadh. Saudi authorities have acknowledged that the killing was premeditated, but his body has not been found.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said over the weekend that audio recordings of the killing had been given to the U.S., French, German and British governments.

"Canada's intelligence agencies have been working very closely on this issue with Turkish intelligence and Canada has been fully briefed on what Turkey had to share and I had a conversation with Erdogan a couple of weeks ago and here in Paris we had brief exchanges and I thanked him for his strength in responding to the Khashoggi situation," said Trudeau.

Trudeau specified that Canadian agents had heard the Turkish recordings, although he himself had not.

"We continue to be engaged with our allies on the investigation into accountability for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and we are in discussions with our like-minded allies as to the next steps with regard Saudi Arabia," added Trudeau at a news conference in Paris on Monday. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta) </s> PARIS — Justin Trudeau says Canadian intelligence officials have listened to a recording of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The prime minister said he has not personally heard the recordings Turkey provided to Saudi Arabia along with allies such as the U.S. and Britain in recent days, though he said he has been fully briefed on its contents.

“Canada has been fully briefed up on what Turkey had to share,” said Trudeau during a press conference at the Canadian embassy in Paris.

He said he brought up the subject during a recent phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and briefly again when the two met this weekend in Paris.

Trudeau said he “thanked him for his strength in responding to the Khashoggi situation.”
• Changing story again, Saudi Arabia says journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing was planned
• Canada condemns killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia consulate in Turkey

Khashoggi was a vocal critic of Saudi Arabia and was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, where he’d gone to get papers to marry his fiancee.

His killing has received widespread condemnation, including from Trudeau himself, but Trudeau didn’t say how the recordings have affected his thoughts on repercussions for the Saudis.

“We continue to be engaged with our allies on the investigation into accountability for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and we are in discussion with our like-minded allies as to next steps towards Saudi Arabia,” he said. </s> Turkey, where Saudi writer died, has culture of surveillance

ISTANBUL (AP) — One mystery surrounding the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul is the existence of purported audio recordings of his death. The recordings, reported to include voices of Saudi officials who were present as well as confirmation of a grisly scheme to dispose of the dismembered body, were reported in pro-government newspapers in Turkey but have not been officially confirmed.

Saudi Arabia says Khashoggi was killed by accident in a "fistfight" with rogue officials, although international suspicions that the killing was ordered with the knowledge of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salam are mounting.

Whether or not the recordings exist, or would ever be released if they do, the reports add to tales of intrigue and surveillance in Turkey, a country where wiretapping scandals have erupted from time to time and whose government closely monitors the internet, banning websites and targeting critics deemed a threat to national security.

Here are prominent examples from the rich history of spying in Turkey, a key geopolitical player because of its strategic location, and the scene of many high-stakes showdowns among internal factions vying for power:

— Since an attempted coup in 2016, Turkish authorities have taken more robust steps to monitor digital and other communications. As part of a crackdown on suspected coup plotters, security forces rounded up many people accused of using ByLock, an encrypted mobile messaging application. ByLock was allegedly used by the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who denies Turkish allegations that he was behind the coup attempt. Some Western governments and human rights activists said the crackdown went too far, rounding up opponents of the government who had done nothing wrong or even people with no strong political affiliation.

— In 2014, a recording of then-Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and top security officials talking about possible military action in Syria during the civil war there was leaked on YouTube, in what appeared to be an attempt to undermine the government ahead of key local elections. Suspicion fell on Gulen supporters alleged to hold key positions in the police, judiciary and other state institutions.

— In 2013, alleged recordings of phone conversations involving Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was then prime minister and has since become president, as well as Cabinet ministers and top officials were posted on the internet amid an investigation of alleged government corruption. Erodgan denounced the recordings as fabrications aimed at discrediting him and said they were part of a "coup attempt" by people loyal to Gulen, who was once allied with the prime minister but later became a critic.

— In 2011, 10 opposition politicians in Turkey quit after the release of grainy, black-and-white videos appearing to show senior members of the Nationalist Action Party, a hard-line nationalist group, in liaisons with women who were not their wives. The smear campaign came just ahead of elections won by Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party. Suspicions of who was behind it ranged from disgruntled opposition party insiders, to supporters of the government, to an alleged gang of coup plotters with shadowy links to state agencies.

— In 2010, Deniz Baykal, the longtime leader of Turkey's main opposition party, was forced to resign after the release of a video purportedly showing him in a hotel bedroom with a woman who was also a member of the Republican People's Party. Both were married at the time. Baykal later said he was targeted in a conspiracy, although who exactly obtained the alleged sex video was never publicly clarified. Some political commentators argued that the party benefited from Baykal's exit because it cleared the way for fresh leadership.

— In 2007, Turkey passed a law to regulate the internet, setting the stage for the banning of thousands of websites and periodic blocking of access to Twitter, YouTube and other sites. Social media came under increasing government scrutiny in 2013 after demonstrators used it to organize the Gezi Park protests that turned into a flashpoint for anti-government anger.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that recordings related to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi were issued to Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.