THE Saudi ambassador to Turkey has been summoned to request Riyadh’s cooperation in an investigation over journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week.

A ministry official says deputy foreign minister Sedat Onal met with the Saudi ambassador yesterday.

Private NTV television said Turkey requested permission to search the consulate building.

An official said that Turkey has “deepened” its investigation without providing further detail.

Turkish officials claim the 60-year-old Washington Post columnist and author was killed at the consulate and that his body was later removed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not confirm the alleged killing, saying he would await the result of an investigation.

Saudi officials have denied the allegations as baseless.