Turkey, S.Arabia set to start Khashoggi probe Monday

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu

ANKARA (AA) - The start of a joint Turkish-Saudi probe of the case of a missing Saudi journalist is imminent, diplomatic sources told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

The investigation of the case of Jamal Khashoggi, who has not been seen since entering Saudi Arabia's Istanbul Consulate on Oct. 2, is set to start Monday evening, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman spoke on the phone about the case.

The phone conversation, according to presidential sources, was to form an investigative committee to probe Khashoggi’s disappearance.

Also on Oct. 2, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was still inside, Turkish police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.

Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K. -- are pressing for the case to be cleared up as soon as possible.