Missing journalist case: Saudi delegation arrives in Turkey

Ankara  :  A Saudi delegation arrived in Turkey on Friday for discussions on the case of journalist Jamal Khashoggi who disappeared last week at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.

The Saudi delegation will have talks with Turkish authorities at the weekend, a Turkish diplomat told Xinhua news agency.

Ankara will seek cooperation with Saudi authorities upon the investigation carried out by the Turkish police on the missing journalist, said the diplomat.

A joint Turkish-Saudi team will probe the disappearance of Khashoggi upon the kingdom's request, said Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin on Thursday.

The consensus for a working team came after Riyadh rescinded initial permission for the Turkish police to search the consulate. 

Saudi Arabia had earlier denied the permission after the Turkish media published the names and travel details of 15 Saudis allegedly involved in the disappearance of the prominent journalist.

Khashoggi, a journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 for paperwork before his upcoming wedding.

The 59-year-old journalist had been living in self-imposed exile in the US since he fled the kingdom in September 2017.

Turkey says said that Khashoggi was likely killed inside the compound, which was denied by Saudi officials as "baseless".