Missing Saudi journalist has not left the consulate - police sources say

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 has not left the building since, police sources said on Saturday.

Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Washington for the past year fearing retribution for his critical views on Saudi policies, entered the consulate on Tuesday to secure documentation for his forthcoming marriage, according to his fiancee, who waited outside. He has not been heard of since.

Since then, Turkish and Saudi officials have offered conflicting accounts of his disappearance, with Ankara saying there was no evidence that he had left the diplomatic mission and Riyadh saying he exited the premises the same day.

On the same day, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was also inside, the sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said.

The Saudis have since all left Turkey, the sources added.

Earlier on Saturday Turkish officials said prosecutors had begun investigating Khashoggi's disappearance and a spokesman for President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party said authorities would uncover his whereabouts.