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Jamal Khashoggi has not been seen since Tuesday noon
The consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul insists that a prominent journalist critic of the Saudi government had already left his premises before it disappeared.
The consulate said it was "following the information regarding the disappearance" of Jamal Khashoggi, who went on Tuesday to complete the paperwork.
Khashoggi's fiancée accompanied her to the building, but she had to wait outside. She did not see him go.
The Turkish authorities also claimed to believe that Khashoggi was still there.
On Thursday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassador of Saudi Arabia and "asked for explanations" about the disappearance, reported NTV television.
The US State Department also asked for information about Khashoggi's whereabouts and is worried about his safety.
The 59-year-old journalist lives in the United States a self-imposed exile since last year, when he left the Gulf Kingdom after criticizing the policy of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, who said he had "contacted anyone who could help locate him."
What happened on Tuesday?
Khashoggi went to the consulate to obtain a document certifying that he had divorced his ex-wife in order to marry his Turkish bride, Hatice.
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Jamal Khashoggi's fiancée, Hatice, was waiting in front of Saudi Arabia's consulate on Wednesday
She said that it was "stressed and sad" to have been forced to go to the building.
Khashoggi had to hand over his mobile phone, which is a common practice in some diplomatic missions. Hatice said that he had left the phone with her and asked her to call an advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when he was not returning.
Hatice said that she had waited for Khashoggi in front of the consulate from around 1 pm (10:00 am GMT) until after midnight and that she had not seen him leave. She returned to the reopening of the consulate on Wednesday morning.
What does Saudi Arabia say?
A Saudi official confirmed Wednesday that Khashoggi had gone to the consulate to complete the documents, but had indicated that he was "released shortly afterwards".
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The Saudi consulate said that Khashoggi had left offices
"He is neither at the consulate nor in Saudi detention," added the official.
On Thursday, the official Saudi news agency said the consulate said it "was conducting follow-up procedures and coordinating with Turkish local authorities to discover the circumstances of Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance after his arrest." departure from the consulate building ".
What does Turkey think?
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters on Wednesday: "According to the information we have, this Saudi citizen is still at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul."
"We have no information to the contrary," he added.
Kalin said the Turkish security forces were following the issue and hoped that the problem would be "solved easily".
The head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association told The New York Times that Turkish security officers at the consulate had checked their security cameras and had not seen the journalist leave on foot. But Turan Kislakci added that diplomatic cars had been seen coming in and out.
Mark Lowen of the BBC said the mystery threatened to deepen tensions in relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Turkey has sided with Qatar over its blockade by Saudi Arabia and other neighbors, and Turkey's rapprochement with Iran has thwarted the Riyadh government, added our correspondent.
Why would Saudi Arabia want to detain Khashoggi?
He is one of the most prominent critics of the Crown Prince, who unveiled Western-praised reforms while leading an apparent crackdown on dissent, which has arrested human rights activists and women , intellectuals and religious, and waged a war in Yemen triggered a humanitarian crisis.
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A former editor of the al-Watan newspaper and a short-lived Saudi television channel, Khashoggi has been regarded for years as close to the Saudi royal family. He has served as an advisor to senior Saudi officials.
After several of his friends were arrested, his column was canceled by the Al-Hayat newspaper and he was warned to stop tweeting. Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia to travel to the United States, from where he wrote opinion pieces for the Washington Post and continued to appear Arab and Western television channels.
"I left my home, my family and my job, and I raise my voice," he wrote in September 2017. "Otherwise, would betray those who languish in prison." I can speak when so many people Others can not do it.
