Turkey summons Saudi ambassador over Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance

Turkey has summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador in the country to the foreign ministry, regarding the disappearance of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, AFP reported on Thursday.

Khashoggi went missing this week, after visiting the Saudi consulate in the Turkish city on Tuesday to sort out paperwork.

He failed to emerge from the building, with his fiancé raising the alarm and Turkish authorities investigating the incident.

Ankara insist that Khashoggi did not leave the building, after studying footage of CCTV cameras positioned around the diplomatic compound.

Riyadh insisted on Thursday it did not know where Khashoggi was and insist he left the building.

Saudi Press Agency added that diplomats were working with Turkish authorities to locate the journalist.

His fiancé disputes this account.

"We don't know where he is. If he had left the consulate as said by the Saudis, we would know where he is," she told AFP. 

Khashoggi fled Saudi Arabia last September following his criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Yemen war, and Riyadh ally US President Donald Trump. 

He has been living in the US since, and known as one of the kingdom's most critical voices towards Riyadh's involvement in the Yemen war. 

At least 11 journalists are currently being detained in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom ranks as one of the worst in the world for the media freedoms.

Bin Salman has also detained dozens of potential royal and business rivals and held them in Riyadh's Ritz Hotel, including world famous entrepreneur Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. A number of human rights campaigners and women's rights activists have also been held by Saudi authorities.

A recent BBC documentary also claimed that three princes were abducted by Saudi authorities from abroad before being hurried back to the kingdom, and have not been heard of since.