Turkey's Erdogan demands Saudis 'prove' missing journalist left consulate

Saudi Arabia must provide evidence that a missing journalist left Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey's president has said.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan demand on Sunday that Saudi authorities back up their claims Jamal Khashoggi was not in the kingdom's mission, the official Anadoulu news agency reported.

"Saudi Consulate in Istanbul should prove if journalist Jamal Khashoggi exited the building or not," Erdogan said.

"Officials in Istanbul can't get away with saying he left the building. It is our humanitarian and political duty to closely follow the issue," he added.

Khashoggi, 59, went to the consulate on Tuesday to obtain official documents ahead of his marriage to his Turkish fiancee. Turkish police said he never left the building.

A Turkish government source has said that police believe the journalist, who been critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was murdered.

Riyadh has denied the claim and alleged Khashoggi had left the consulate building.

In his first comments over the disappearance, Erdogan on Sunday said he was awaiting the results of an investigation.

"We hope to have results very quickly," Erdogan said. "I am waiting, with high hopes."

Erdogan also said police officers were examining CCTV footage of entrances and exits at the consulate and Istanbul airport.

Khashoggi has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest, after criticising Prince Mohammed's intervention in Yemen and the blockade of Qatar.

On Monday, The governments of the United Kingdom and France expressed concern over the disappearance and alleged killing of Khashoggi.