Turkish officials to visit Saudi consulate in search for missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Turkish authorities are to search the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as part of an investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The announcement came as the Washington Post published a surveillance image of Mr Khashoggi walking into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He has not been seen since entering the building on 2 October.

The image shows the date and time (13:14) and bears a caption in Turkish with the journalist's name and that he was arriving at the consulate.

Mr Khashoggi was a regular contributor to The Post, and colleagues there have said he often expressed concern for his safety because of his writing.

The newspaper said "a person close to the investigation" had shared the image with them.

The door Mr Khashoggi walked through appeared to be the main entrance of the consulate in Istanbul's 4th Levent neighbourhood.

Saudi officials insist he left through one of the consulate's doors.

Jamal Khashoggi went missing after visiting the consulate on October 2. Credit: AP

The Foreign Ministry said Saudi authorities have notified Ankara they are “open to co-operation” and will allow the consulate building to be searched. The ministry did not say when the premises would be searched.

Saudi writer Mr Khashoggi, a high-profile critic of the regime, disappeared a week ago after entering the consulate to obtain paperwork for his marriage to his Turkish fiancee.

Turkish officials have alleged the 59-year-old journalist was killed in the compound, but Saudi Arabia has called the allegations "baseless" despite not offering evidence he left the consulate.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Saudi Arabia to prove he left the consulate alive.

Earlier on Tuesday, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt met the Saudi ambassador, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud, to voice the UK's concern about the disappearance Mr Khashoggi.

Mr Hunt said that if reports of Mr Khashoggi's death proved correct, the UK would regard the situation as "serious", adding: "Friendships depend on shared values."

On Monday, Downing Street said the UK was "working urgently" to establish the facts behind Mr Khashoggi's disappearance.

Donald Trump has taken a more cautious approach, expressing concern but refraining from any strong comments against the oil-rich kingdom.

The US president told reporters on Monday: "Hopefully that will sort itself out. Right now, nobody knows anything about it."