+ A
A -
AFP / Al Jazeera
Istanbul
Turkish police on Monday searched the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for the first time since journalist Jamal Khashoggi went missing, as US President Donald Trump floated the idea that"rogue killers" could be to blame for his disappearance.
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities told Al Jazeera that they have found evidence that supports suspicions Khashoggi was killed in the consulate.
A source at the Attorney General's office, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the channel,"they have found evidence that supports their suspicions that Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate."
The Attorney General's office also said their team inside the consulate found evidence of"tampering".
Khashoggi, a Saudi national and US resident who became increasingly critical of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has not been seen since he walked into the Istanbul consulate to sort out marriage paperwork on October 2.
Until now, Riyadh has not allowed Turkish investigators to search the consulate with reports both sides were at odds over the conditions.
But late Monday evening, a motorcade of six cars drew up and Turkish police and prosecutors entered the premises.
Trump's comments came after a telephone conversation with King Salman, father of the crown prince, the first such talks since the crisis erupted.
"Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened 'to our Saudi Arabian citizen'," Trump tweeted."The denial was very, very strong,"Trump later told reporters at the White House."It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?"
An investment conference seen as a platform for the crown prince which was scheduled to take place in Riyadh next week, has been hit by a string of prominent cancellations.
