Turkish police have begun searching the residence of the Saudi Consul in Istanbul amid claims that he may have witnessed the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Consul General Mohammed al-Otaibi reportedly told the 'hit squad' accused of being flown in to murder Khashoggi, to 'do this outside or you'll get me into trouble', in audio allegedly recorded at the consulate.

Al-Otaibi fled Turkey yesterday, hours before it was reported that he can be heard on the seven minute audio Khashoggi allegedly recorded on his smartwatch of his own torture and murder.

Following revelations about the leaked audio tape on Wednesday, Turkish police were pictured returning to the Saudi consulate and carrying out searches on the Consul's private residence which had previously been left untouched by investigators.

The audio - which has not been released to the public - reportedly also hears one of the alleged killers instruct the others to wear headphones and listen to music while dismembering the 59-year-old.

Thorough search: Turkish forensic officials arrive to the residence of Saudi Arabia's Consul General Mohammad al-Otaibi in Istanbul

Investigators are spotted investigating the roof of Consul Mohammed al-Otaibi's residence

A Turkish police expert examines the garden of Saudi Arabia's Consul General Mohammad al-Otaibi

Still missing: Jamal Khashoggi was reportedly butchered while still alive by members of the 15-strong Saudi 'hit squad' where several have been found to have close ties to the Royal family

The torture is alleged to have seen the 'hit squad' cut Khashoggi's fingers off one by one on a desk in an office in the Saudi consulate, before decapitating him and possibly dissolving his remains in acid.

This comes as a man identified as having worked as a bodyguard for the Crown Prince is confirmed as a suspect in the Turkish police investigation. He was previously named as part of the 15-strong 'hit squad' that was reportedly sent to Istanbul to take out Khashoggi.

Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, who previously worked as a diplomat at the Saudi embassy in London, has been photographed with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on recent trips to Madrid and Paris, as well as the United States, The New York Times has revealed.

Reuters said earlier today that Otaibi had been fired and subjected to an investigation following his return to Riyadh, however this report was later withdrawn by the news agency.

Turkish government sources have said police believe the journalist was killed by a special team of 15 Saudi officials sent to Istanbul especially for the task.

Middle East Eye said Wednesday seven of the suspects belong to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s personal security and protection detail.

Salah Muhammad al-Tubaigy, who was revealed to have trained in Britain, can reportedly be heard in the seven-minute audio recording Khashoggi allegedly made of his own execution.

Tubaigy, who is known as a 'forensic expert', studied pathology at the University of Glasgow in 2004 and learned how to carry out autopsies.

Police officers use drone to view the residence of Consul General of Saudi Arabia as part of an investigation on Wednesday

Mohammad al-Otaibi, the Saudi Consul in Istanbul, left Turkey on a commercial flight on Tuesday just hours before Turkish investigators entered his residence

Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, reportedly now being sought by Turkish authorities for questioning over Khashoggi's disappearance, can be seen in the background as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits a Habitat for Humanity in Houston, Texas in April

Close to the crown: Mutreb is seen disembarking after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Madrid, Spain, also in April this year

If legitimate, the shocking audio would prove not only that Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but that he was butchered alive.

Tubaigy, the head of the Saudi Scientific Council of Forensics, has been identified by an anonymous source as telling others in the squad to put headphones in while dismembering Khashoggi.

According to the source, who spoke to Middle East Eye, Tubaigy, who also holds a position within the Saudi Interior Ministry, said: 'When I do this job, I listen to music.'

The tape is said to reveal Mr Khashoggi was dragged from the Saudi Consul General's office to a table in a next-door study, where he was surgically dismembered, before he was 'injected with an unknown drug' and fell silent.

'There was no attempt to interrogate him. They had come to kill him,' the source said, adding that Khashoggi's dying screams had been heard by witnesses downstairs as he was cut into pieces on the desk.

As more theories of how Khashoggi disappeared emerge, Turkish website Habertürk claimed police and intelligence officers are 'looking into whether the body of Khashoggi was dissolved using acid'.

Dr Salah Muhammed A Tubaigy (pictured) is known to be a 'forensic expert' who studied autopsies during his time at Glasgow University

Going in: The consul reportedly left Turkey for Riyadh Tuesday, before the search began on Wednesday afternoon

Turkish forensic and investigations officers arrive at the Saudi Consul's residence

Claims: The anonymous source claims to have heard Mr Khashoggi's final minutes on an audio recording made on the journalist's own smartwatch after he entered the consulate, pictured

The Times said it confirmed that at least nine of the 15 worked for the Saudi security services, military or other government ministries.

The newspaper said it gathered more information about the suspects through facial recognition software, a database of Saudi cellphone numbers, leaked Saudi government documents, witnesses and media.

The Times said three other suspects are Abdulaziz Mohammed al-Hawsawi - a member of the security team that travels with Prince Mohammed - Thaar Ghaleb al-Harbi, and Muhammed Saad Alzahrani.

Harbi and Alzahrani have the same names as two people who have been identified as members of the Saudi Royal Guard, the Times said.

A strongly pro-government Turkish newspaper also published a recounting of the allegedly authentic audio tape, claiming Khashoggi had his fingers cut off one by one, before he was decapitated at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Citing the recording, Yeni Sefak claimed Consul General Otaibi could be heard on the tape, telling those allegedly torturing Khashoggi: 'Do this outside; you're going to get me in trouble.'

The newspaper said one of the Saudis torturing Khashoggi replied: 'Shut up if you want to live when you return to (Saudi) Arabia.'

Otaibi suddenly left Turkey on a commercial flight on Tuesday, one day before crime-scene investigators entered his residence on Wednesday afternoon.

Saudi Arabia's green national flag flapped overhead as forensics teams walked into the residence, only 1.2 miles from the consulate where Khashoggi vanished

Horrifying: Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was thrown onto a desk and dismembered by a Saudi 'hit squad' while he was still alive, according to an anonymous source

Named: These images are said to show Mutreb and Thaar Ghaleb al-Harbi, who have both been named in connection with Khashoggi's disappearance, as they arrive in Turkey

Abdulaziz Mohammed al-Hawsawi, left, and Muhammed Saad Alzahrani, right, identified in Turkish media as the men in these images, are both part of the royal security team

'Forensic expert': Salah Muhammad al-Tubaigy, identified as the man in these pictures in Turkish newspapers, could reportedly be heard telling others in the squad to put headphones in while dismembering Khashoggi

Donald Trump compares Khashoggi murder allegations against Saudi Arabia to Kavanaugh while Pompeo hold talks in Riyadh and Ankara U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the mounting global condemnation of Saudi Arabia over Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance, and compared it to the allegations of sexual assault leveled against now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 'Here we go again with, you know, you're guilty until proven innocent,' he said Tuesday. Trump said that he has spoken to the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the kingdom continues to steadfastly deny any involvement in Khashoggi's suspected murder. Taking to Twitter, Trump said the Crown Prince 'totally denied' knowledge of the journalist's disappearance in a phone call which followed a dinner between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Saudi leader in Riyadh. More talks: After a visit to Riyadh to speak to King Salman and the Crown Prince, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Ankara to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Pompeo also sat down for a talk with his Turkish counterpart, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Wednesday Having a chat: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday Today: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) arrived in Saudi Arabia to quiz King Salman (right) over the mystery Pompeo travelled to Riyadh yesterday to meet with King Salman and the Crown Prince to try to defuse the crisis sparked by Khashoggi's disappearance and the Saudis' reluctance to address what happened to him at the consulate. The Crown Prince told Pompeo that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia 'are strong and old allies. We face our challenges together,' before sitting down for talks. Today, Pompeo flew to Turkey to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to discuss Khashoggi. Trump tweeted that he had spoken to the Crown Prince over the phone on Tuesday who 'denied knowledge of what took place' No details were immediately released about the talks in Ankara, and while the trio posed for photos before their meetings, they said nothing in front of journalists. Upon leaving Turkey on Wednesday afternoon, Pompeo asserted that the U.S. is taking Khashoggi's disappearance 'seriously'. Pompeo said Erdogan 'made clear that the Saudis had cooperated with the investigation that the Turks are engaged in and they are going to share information.' Asked if he heard or asked to hear audio of Khashoggi's alleged slaying, he said: 'I don't have anything to say about that.' Pompeo stressed that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have important links, including working on countering Iran. However, he said: 'If a country engages in activity that is unlawful, it's unacceptable. No one is going to defend activity of that nature. They need to simply say what happened.' On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump speculated 'rogue killers' were to blame after revealing the Saudi king denied any murder plot during a phone conversation between the pair last night. Speaking to reporters in the White House, Trump said King Salman's denial 'could not have been stronger.' 'He said it very strongly,' Trump said when pressed to say whether he believed the Saudi king. He added: 'It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?' President Trump has previously said he does not want to halt a proposed $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia - as some in Congress have suggested - because it would harm the US economically. However, on Monday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow warned that the United States would 'take stern action with the Saudis if necessary.' Advertisement

This follows reports yesterday that local police have found 'certain evidence' that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, and Turkish officials have referenced an audio recording.

They said that this evidence had been shared with several other countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Investigators have reportedly been 'looking into toxic materials' at the alleged crime scene following a nine-hour overnight search which ended in the early hours of Tuesday.

The disappearance of Khashoggi has put Saudi Arabia's international relations in the spotlight, in particular its trade with the U.S.

The UK, along with its fellow members of the G7: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.S. today released a joint statement about the 'troubling' disappearance of Khashoggi.

'Those bearing responsibility for his disappearance must be held to account,' the statement from the G7 Foreign Ministers said

'We encourage Turkish-Saudi collaboration and look forward to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conducting a thorough, credible, transparent, and prompt investigation, as announced.'

Cleaning up? Maintenance workers leave with garbage from Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday afternoon

Throwing out the trash: Bags were taken out after the nine-hour overnight visit by Turkish investigators

There have been several reports this week that Saudi Arabia is preparing to admit that Khashoggi died in the consulate during an interrogation which went wrong, but no such admittance has yet appeared.

Previously, sources in British intelligence have been quoted by Reuters as saying they believe there had been an attempt to drug Khashoggi inside the consulate that culminated in an overdose.

Earlier on Tuesday, U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called for the immediate and 'absolute' lifting of diplomatic immunity enjoyed by any officials or premises in the Khashoggi investigation.

Ms Bachelet said the 'inviolability or immunity' of people or premises granted under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 'should be waived immediately.'

She said Tuesday the 'onus is on the Saudi authorities' to reveal what happened, and insisted 'no further obstacles' should be placed in the way of a quick, thorough, impartial and transparent investigation.

Bachelet stopped short of calling for an international investigation.

On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund joined Google and a number of banks, including HSBC, in boycotting a business conference in Saudi Arabia next week.

Christine Lagarde’s trip to the Future Investment Initiative - dubbed the ‘Davos of the Desert’ – is being postponed, an IMF spokesperson said.

Google said in a statement that Google Cloud Chief Executive Diane Greene would not attend the summit, starting in Riyadh on Tuesday.

This was followed by statements from HSBC, Standard Chartered and Credit Suisse which said their chief executives will no longer be travelling to Riyadh for the conference.

Many American companies, including Uber, Viacom and Ford, have pulled out of the three-day conference

Britain's trade secretary Liam Fox and US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin are still due to attend.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JAMAL KHASHOGGI: A TIMELINE What happened? Jamal Khashoggi has been missing since October 2 Here is a timeline of events in the disappearance of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident, not seen since he entered the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2. OCTOBER 2 At 1.14pm (10.14amGMT) on October 2, Khashoggi is recorded entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by a surveillance camera. The image is published by the Washington Post. He was at the consulate to receive an official document for his upcoming marriage. His fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, accompanies him but waits outside. OCTOBER 3 On October 3 the Washington Post, for whom Khashoggi writes opinion pieces, raises the alarm, saying the journalist has not been seen since he entered the consulate. His fiancee camps out near barricades in front of the Saudi consulate hoping for news. Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tells a news conference: 'According to information we have this individual... is still at the consulate as of now'. The US State Department says it is investigating. OCTOBER 4 On October 4, after an initial period of silence, Saudi Arabia says Khashoggi disappeared 'after he left the consulate building'. The Saudi ambassador is summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry. OCTOBER 5 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tells Bloomberg that Khashoggi is not inside the consulate and 'we are ready to welcome the Turkish government to go and search our premises,' which is Saudi sovereign territory. OCTOBER 6 A government source says Turkish police believe Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate. 'Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day,' the source tells AFP. Riyadh calls the claim 'baseless'. OCTOBER 7 Turkey seeks permission to search Saudi Arabia's consulate, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, commenting for the first time, says he will wait for the outcome of the investigation before taking a decision. OCTOBER 8 Erdogan asks Riyadh to 'prove' its claim that Khashoggi left its consulate. US President Donald Trump says he is 'concerned'. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls for a 'thorough' and 'transparent' probe by Washington's ally Saudi Arabia into the disappearance. OCTOBER 9 Saudi Arabia agrees to let Turkish authorities search the consulate, the Turkish foreign ministry says. Local media report on the possibility that Khashoggi was kidnapped and taken to Saudi Arabia. OCTOBER 10 English-language state broadcaster TRT World says Turkish officials believe the Saudis may have taken the consulate's CCTV footage with them when they returned to the kingdom. CCTV footage released by Turkish TV shows a van entering the consulate on October 2, before going to the nearby consul's residence. The Washington Post, citing US intelligence intercepts, says Saudi Arabia's crown prince ordered an operation to trap Khashoggi. The US State Department says it had not been tipped off about such an operation. Trump calls for explanations from Saudi Arabia, saying he has talked 'more than once' and 'at the highest levels' to partners in Riyadh. He says he has been in contact with Khashoggi's fiancee, who has asked for his help. OCTOBER 12 British entrepreneur Richard Branson suspends two directorships linked to tourism projects in Saudi Arabia. Several prestigious partners cancel their planned attendance at the end of the month at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, a lavish conference dubbed the 'Davos in the Desert'. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Ford chairman Bill Ford are among those to pull out of the Riyadh event. OCTOBER 15 Turkish police investigators and prosecutors conduct an eight-hour overnight search of the Saudi consulate, taking away samples. Trump says he received a strong denial from King Salman of any involvement in the disappearance of Khashoggi. 'It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?' Trump tells reporters. The next day, US top diplomat Mike Pompeo arrives in Riyadh for urgent talks with the king and crown prince. Advertisement

A Turkish crime scene investigation team member inspects the roof of the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on Monday night

Crime scene officers from the Turkish police investigated every inch of the consulate on Monday night

Turkish police officers gather as they prepare to enter the Saudi Arabia's Consulate as evening draws in on Monday

Oil prices rise and the Riyal dips On Monday morning Benchmark Brent crude oil jumped by $1.49 a barrel to a high of $81.92. The riyal was quoted at 3.7524 to the US dollar in the spot market early on Monday, its weakest rate since September 2016, Refinitiv data showed. It comes after Saudi Arabia issued a thinly veiled threat to cut oil production if the US imposes sanctions over the disappearance. There are also fears companies will turn away from investing in the Kingdom UKOIL chart by TradingView TradingView Privacy Policy Advertisement

A Turkish official yesterday claimed the consulate walls have been repainted since the alleged murder and said the Turks don't trust the Saudis not to obfuscate the investigation, reported the Middle Eastern Eye.

Khashoggi, who was notoriously critical of Saudi Arabia's new Crown Prince, entered the consulate on 2 October to get documents to marry his Turkish fiancee - but has not been seen since.

Turkish officials have said they fear a Saudi hit team killed and dismembered Khashoggi.

Saudi Arabia has called such allegations 'baseless' but has not proved the writer ever left the consulate.

Saudi Arabia said Monday that the Crown Prince has ordered an internal investigation of the disappearance, and released a statement thanking Turkey for the co-operation in which they praised President Erdogan 'appreciating the fraternal, distinguished, historical and close relations between the two countries'.

While Turkey and the kingdom differ on political issues, Saudi investments are a crucial lifeline for Ankara amid trouble with its national currency, the Turkish lira.

Jamal Khashoggi (right) arriving at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2. He has not been seen since and Turkey has accused Saudi agents of murdering him

Missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi, pictured in Switzerland in 2011, may have been murdered because he knew too much about the Saudi royal family, one of his friends has said