Turkish team enters Saudi consulate in Istanbul to investigate disappearance of Saudi journalist

Reuters - A Turkish team entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Monday evening to investigate the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The team, including police officers and crime scene investigators, arrived at the consulate building in seven to eight vehicles, including a forensic van, according to the live broadcast by private Demiroren agency. "Of course done a bit late, but it's going to be a 100 percent forensic investigation. This is why the Turkish government, Turkish policies waiting in a so patient way. And they try to deal with the issue also in a diplomatic way, not to damage the honor of Saudi Arabia," said Ozcan Tikit, a foreign policy analyst in Turkey. Hours earlier, a Saudi team of 15 people arrived at the consulate building, after meeting with Turkish authorities at the Istanbul security headquarters. The two countries agreed last week to work together on the case and conduct a joint search in the consulate, where Khashoggi was last seen on Oct. 2. Meanwhile, Turkish police increased security measures around the area and sealed off the entrance to the mission. Turkey believes the journalist was murdered in the Saudi consulate with his body removed, while Saudi Arabia has dismissed such allegations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud spoke on the phone about the issue on Sunday evening. "Turkey doesn't want to damage the relations with Saudi Arabia. But on one hand it doesn't want to, if he was killed,let this barbaric crime stay unpunished. Here is a very tiny line, not to damage relations, but also not to let the murderers stay unpunished. It's a very actually tiny line and Turkey doesn't want to cross that," said Tikit.