Investigators leave Saudi consul's Istanbul residence

By Ilyas Kacar

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish investigators completed their search of the Saudi consul general's official residence early Thursday as part of a probe into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Crime scene investigation units arrived at the Istanbul residence of Mohammad al-Otaibi around 4:40 p.m. local time (1340 GMT). Al-Otaibi left Turkey for Riyadh on Tuesday.

The Turkish team concluded its search for evidence in nine hours and left, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent at the scene, but returned to the Saudi consulate to continue searching the premises.

Earlier in the day, a group of Saudi officials arrived at the Saudi consul general's residence to take part in a joint probe with Turkish investigators into Khashoggi’s disappearance.

Khashoggi has long been feared killed after he entered the Saudi Consulate building in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and was never seen leaving.

On the same day, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.