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Turkey’s Erdoğan says some substances painted over at Saudi consulate

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 15: A Turkish crime scene investigation team member inspects the consul room on the second floor of the building of the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul, Turkey after the start of a joint probe of the case of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 15, 2018. An acting chief prosecutor and a public prosecutor were assigned by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to carry out the probe at the consulate. Also, specialists from anti-terror branch and crime scene investigation units of Istanbul Provincial Security Directorate are included to the team. Khashoggi, a journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. AFP PHOTOS

Traces of unidentified substances at the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul where journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared two weeks ago have been painted over, the Hürriyet Daily News reported, citing Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan

Speaking after Turkish police entered the consulate for the first time since the disappearance and searched the premises for nine hours, Erdoğan also told reporters that they were looking into toxic substances at the mission.

Turkish officials told Reuters that authorities have an audio recording indicating that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate and have shared the evidence with such countries as Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Saudi Arabia has denied any role in Khashoggi’s disappearance.

“My hope is that we can reach conclusions that will give us a reasonable opinion as soon as possible because the investigation is looking into many things such as toxic substances and those substances being removed by painting them over,” Erdoğan told reporters in Ankara.

A Turkish diplomatic source said the investigators planned to widen their search on Tuesday to the residence of the Saudi consul general.

Turkish television channels previously aired footage of a large vehicle leaving the consulate two hours after Khashoggi vanished and parking it at the consul’s residence.

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