US actor and filmmaker Sean Penn and his crew were seen in front of the Saudi consulate here on Wednesday, reportedly making a documentary on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the mission.
Turkish private NTV broadcaster said the actor was trying to gather detailed information to make the documentary about the murder of supporter-turned-critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, a case that has sparked an international outcry.
The two-time Oscar winner came to the consulate with a crew of around 10 and shot in front of the consulate as well as the residence of the Saudi consul, who left Turkey after the journalist's killing on October 2.
#SeanPenn in #Istanbul for a #documentary on #Khashoggi case https://t.co/JAHPyFvqaV pic.twitter.com/sOuyx0l6JD
— Yeni Şafak English (@yenisafakEN) December 5, 2018
Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post, went missing after entering the consulate for collecting documents in order to marry his Turkish fiancée Hatice Cengiz.
After initially saying the journalist had left the consulate alive, weeks later the Saudi administration admitted he was killed there and blamed a "rogue" team.
Penn was expected to meet Cengiz in the city, according to the broadcaster.
The Sabah daily reported that the actor will also visit Ankara to meet Turkish officials.
According to the Istanbul prosecutor, Khashoggi was strangled to death after he entered the Saudi consulate and his body was then dismembered and destroyed.
The Turkish police and crime scene investigators were still trying to locate the remaining parts of his body across Istanbul and the neighbouring Yalova province.