The U.S. response follows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling the killing a pre-meditated - 'savage' - murder. The comments contradict changing stories by Riyadh, which claimed the killing at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul was accidental. CGTN's Michal Bardavid reports from Istanbul.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made his first extended remarks on Tuesday regarding the latest developments in the death of Jamal Khashoggi. The prominent dissident journalist was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd.

Saudi officials have presented several narratives on how Khashoggi died, but so far no one has admitted the killing was planned. Saudi Arabia has fired several high-ranking intelligence officers and arrested 18 Saudi nationals in connection with the murder. Erdogan stated - this was not enough.

MICHAL BARDAVID ISTANBUL "In his statement, the Turkish president emphasized that initial findings showed this was in fact a premeditated savage murder. Erdogan also called for a transparent international investigation."

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGANTURKISH PRESIDENT "Blaming some intelligence members for this matter will satisfy neither us nor the international community. The conscience of humanity will only be satisfied once everybody is called into account, from those who gave the orders to those who carried them out."

Earlier, Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister stated that Khashoggi's killing cannot be justified.

KHALID AL-FALIHSAUDI ENERGY MINISTER "We are going through a crisis of sort, resulting from the very regrettable and abhorrent incident that took place in Turkey. Nobody in the Kingdom can justify it or explain it, and from the leadership on down we are very upset about what has happened, and of course the king has made it very clear that there will be an investigation, justice and retribution to those responsible."

Photos published by the Saudis showed King Salman and the Crown Prince receiving Khashoggi's family on Tuesday. It was also reported that Erdogan called members of Khashoggi's family to offer his condolences.

Closed circuit video footage released on Monday appeared to show a man leaving the Saudi consulate on October 2nd dressed in the same clothes Khashoggi was wearing when he entered the consulate that day. Erdogan said the footage was part of a cover-up effort by the team that killed Khashoggi.

During his speech, Erdogan also stressed that Saudis must reveal the name of the local collaborator who was given the body by Saudi officials. Turkish police have been searching for Khashoggi's remains in different parts of Istanbul including some nearby forests. On Tuesday, Turkish police searched an abandoned car with Saudi consulate plates that was found in a private parking lot. Early reports suggest possessions in the car, which matched another vehicle seen outside the consulate, might belong to Khashoggi.

Meanwhile, CIA head Gina Haspel has arrived in Turkey to discuss the Khashoggi case with Turkish officials. Erdogan also called for the 18 Saudis arrested in connection with the killing to be tried in Turkish courts. Michal Bardavid, CGTN, Istanbul.