Turkish interior minister says a search at the residence of Saudi consul general in Istanbul could begin as soon as 'a joint consensus' is reached
The case of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is not only a global matter, but also a test for the Turkish judiciary Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said on Wednesday.
Speaking at Anadolu Agency Editor's Desk, Soylu said, "There is an agreement, but for the search to start, there must be a joint consensus. The joint consensus is on the wait."
"Once a joint consensus is reached, this step [to search the residence] will be taken," he added.
Soylu further stressed that if permission to search the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul was granted earlier, there would not be "any debates" regarding incident.
"We have managed and are continuing to manage this issue transparently and open to the world within the measures given by law," he said.
Following permission for a search of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkish and Saudi officials are to search the residence of the Saudi consul concerning the case of a missing journalist.
Amid the ongoing investigation of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi however, Saudi Arabia's Consul General in Istanbul Mohammad al-Otaibi left Turkey for Riyadh on Tuesday.
Khashoggi has long been feared killed at the consulate after he entered the Saudi Consulate building in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and was never seen exiting.
On the same day, 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.
Turkey has shown two qualities in handling the case, namely staying calm and acting in line with the law, said Soylu.
"[Turkey] obeyed international agreements but at the same time took open and transparent actions [on the case]," he added.
Soylu also urged the international community to wait for the final outcome of the investigation.
