A game is being played to protect someone involved in the brutal murder of Saudi journalist and Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed on October 30.

Erdogan—sparking further speculation as to whether he has incontrovertible proof as to whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is or is not culpable for the October 2 killing in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate—said he had shared information with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron at the weekend which the two European leaders were previously unaware of.

Over the past two weeks, the Saudis have more than once changed their version of what happened to Khashoggi. They now accept the Washington Post columnist’s murder was premeditated, but claim it was the result of a “rogue” operation by Saudi agents that took place without Bin Salman’s authority. The crown prince last week spoke of how nobody would be able to create a rift between Riyahd and Ankara over the Khashoggi affair—but not many people seem to be buying that line, least of all Erdogan.

Erdogan’s latest comments indicate any effort the White House is making to defuse the Khashoggi row between Turkey and the US’ major Persian Gulf ally Saudi Arabia is not finding much favour in Ankara. The Turks may be trying to topple Bin Salman or weaken his power.

Saudi Arabia’s most senior prosecutor, Saud al-Mujeb, visited the Istanbul consulate on October 30.

Speaking to reporters and referring to the team of agents that allegedly arrived from Saudi Arabia to either kidnap or murder Khashoggi, Erdogan said: “Who sent these 15 people? As Saudi public prosecutor, you have to ask that question, so you can reveal it.

“Now we have to solve this case. No need to prevaricate, it makes no sense to try to save certain people. We cannot let this subject end midway.”

Al-Mujeb, according to official Turkish sources quoted by various media outlets, was due to be presented with a 150-page dossier including interviews with 45 consulate employees and phone recordings of Khashoggi with consulate officers.

Reportedly, not all the evidence gathered by the Turks was handed to Saudi Arabia, but the Saudi leadership will have been informed by other sources on the quality of the intelligence—that includes information on the extent to which there was direct contact between the Saudi consul general’s office and Bin Salman’s office during Khashoggi’s interrogation inside the consulate.