Turkey to search Saudi consulate for missing journalist

A search will be carried out in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey's Istanbul in line with an ongoing probe on the disappearance of a Saudi journalist, Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ministry said that this search will be implemented in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and under the official permission of the Saudi diplomatic mission chief.

"The Saudi authorities stated that they were open for cooperation, and an investigation can be carried out in the building of the Consulate General," the statement said.

Turkish prosecutors have launched the probe on whereabouts of Jamal Khashoggi, 59, journalist and columnist of the Washington Post.

The Saudi journalist has been missing since last Tuesday afternoon after entering the consulate building to get several documents for his marriage.

Turkish Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned Saudi Arabian ambassador to Ankara and demanded permission to search the consulate building in Istanbul.

Unconfirmed reports quoted Turkish police sources as saying that Khashoggi was likely killed inside the consulate.

Saudi officials denied such allegations as "baseless," insisting that the journalist left the consulate's premises.