Every new detail that emerges in the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is gorier than the last. According to latest reports, Khashoggi's remains were poured down a drain after being dissolved in acid.

News agency AFP quoted Turkish daily Sabah as saying that samples taken from the drains at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul showed traces of acid.

This has led investigators to believe that Khashoggi's remains were disposed of as liquid.

A Turkish official this week confirmed a Sabah report that chemicals expert Ahmad Abdulaziz al-Janobi and toxicology expert Khaled Yahya al-Zahrani were among a team sent from Saudi amid investigations into the murder.

The paper said they visited the consulate every day from their arrival on October 11 until October 17. Saudi Arabia only allowed Turkish police to search the building on October 15.

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Turkish officials have suggested Saudi Arabia sent two experts to Istanbul with the specific aim of covering up evidence after the murder.

The latest findings come as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said that recordings related to Khashoggi's death have been passed on to Saudi Arabia, the US, the UK, Germany and France. He again called on Saudi Arabia to provide answers as to what happened to Khashoggi and his body.

However, he did not elaborate on what was in the recordings.

A gruesome death

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

Istanbul's chief prosecutor's office said that Khashoggi was suffocated as soon as he entered Saudi Arabia's consulate in a planned killing, and his body was then dismembered and disposed of.

His body was then dissolved in acid, said Yasin Aktay, an advisor to Turkish president.

Family pleads for proper burial

Khashoggi's sons have appealed to Riyadh to return the body of their father so that the grieving family can bury him in a cemetery in the holy city of Medina with the rest of his clan.

"I really hope that whatever happened wasn't painful for him, or it was quick. Or he had a peaceful death," Abdullah Khashoggi, 33, told CNN in Washington with his brother, Salah, 35.

READ| Slain Saudi journalist Khashoggi's sons appeal for return of his body, seek proper burial

Without their father's body, the brothers say their family is unable to grieve or find closure.

"All that we want right now is to bury him in Al-Baqi (cemetery) in Medina (Saudi Arabia) with the rest of his family," Salah said.

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

I'm unable to express my sorrow to learn about dissolving your body Jamal! They killed you and chopped up your body, depriving me and your family of conducting your funeral prayer and burying you in Madinah as wished.

Are these killers and those behind it human beings?

Oh my God! pic.twitter.com/U5OKS5DkVb Hatice Cengiz / ????? (@mercan_resifi) November 8, 2018



(with inputs from agencies)

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