The Turkish court, which is trying in absentia 26 Saudi suspects in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, refused to accept a US intelligence report that accused the kingdom's crown prince of murder.

An Istanbul court is trying two close former aides to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a case that has garnered additional attention after the release of a declassified US report was delayed last week.

Turkish prosecutors claim that Saudi Arabia's deputy chief of intelligence, and royal court media coordinator, directed the operation and issued orders to the Saudi team.

A declassified US report says Washington had reason to conclude that Prince Mohammed approved the operations because they were consistent with his model of using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad.

The presiding judge rejected the request for the report to be included on the grounds that it would give nothing to the court.