Jamal Khashoggi's last words revealed - reports

Yasin Aktay, adviser to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks during an event organised to mark the 40th day of the death of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi. Photo / AP

The fiancée of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi wept yesterday as hundreds gathered in Istanbul to honour the memory of her husband.

Hatice Cengiz, 38, was pictured in tears as tributes were paid and images shown of her fiancé to a crowd of around 200.

It comes as Turkish newspaper, The Daily Sabah, reports the last words of Jamal Khashoggi as "I'm suffocating … Take this bag off my head, I'm claustrophobic."

Hatice Cengiz had waited outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for her fiance Jamal Khashoggi to emerge before raising the alarm when he failed to appear. Photo / AP

Cengiz had waited outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 for her fiance Khashoggi to emerge before raising the alarm when he failed to appear.

Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi rulers, was killed inside the consulate after going to collect papers for his forthcoming marriage to Cengiz.

After repeated denials, Saudi Arabia finally admitted the 59-year-old had been murdered at the mission in a "rogue" operation.

It had originally argued that the writer had left the premises unharmed.

Supporters met today to talk and watch videos of eulogies for the Washington Post contributor.

Turan Kislakci, head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association (TAM), to which Khashoggi belonged, called for justice to be done "so that these barbaric tyrants can never do the same thing again".

Yemeni human rights activist Tawakkol Karman, who won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her participation in the Arab Spring uprisings, said the killing was reminiscent of crimes committed by the Islamic State Group.

The murder brought increased pressure on the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman. Photo / AP

Protesters also yesterday gathered outside the consulate where Khashoggi was attacked. The murder has pushed attention back to the war in Yemen and brought increased pressure on the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman.

Khashoggi was last seen entering the consulate on October 2 to obtain documents for his forthcoming marriage.

Turkish pro-government daily Sabah on Saturday reported Khashoggi's killers poured the remains of the insider-turned-critic of Riyadh down the drain after dissolving him in acid.

Samples taken from the consulate drains showed traces of acid, Sabah said, without quoting sources for its story.

Erdogan has accused the "highest levels" of the Saudi government of ordering the hit.

Some officials have pointed the finger at the all-powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and some analysts say Ankara is keen to have the heir sidelined from the nexus of power in Riyadh.

It comes as a Turkish newspaper reports the last words of Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident Saudi journalist killed at his country's consulate in Istanbul last month, reveal the way he pleaded with his murderers moments before his death.

The Daily Sabah says they will soon publish images of the tools used by a team of 15 people who are suspected of slaying the Washington Post writer, and claim to have heard his final utterances in secret audio recordings on October 2.

"I'm suffocating … Take this bag off my head, I'm claustrophobic," Khashoggi said according to the head of investigations for the Turkish newspaper Nazif Karaman.

The Turkish newspaper claims it took 15 minutes to carry out the grisly killing and traces of acid were discovered at the Saudi consul general's home in Istanbul.

The Daily Sabah reports the planning of the murder was led by the head of the Saudi Scientific Council of Forensics, Salah al-Tubaigy.

With the Middle Eastern royal being accused of planning the attack, the US-Saudi alliance came under immense strain as people called for America to get to the bottom of the story.