by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has considerably raised pressure on Saudi Arabia over the mysterious disappearance of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on its soil, yet trying not to make it a full blown crisis with the Gulf kingdom amid already cold bilateral ties.

The investigation over the case of Khashoggi, who has not been seen since entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, started on Monday with a search in the consulate premises.

The relations between Ankara and Riyadh have worsened in recent years, thickening the fog surrounding the whereabouts of the missing Saudi journalist amid fears that he had been assassinated in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Turkish security officials believe the journalist, a critic of Saudi policies, was murdered by a team of Saudis who flew to Istanbul on Oct. 2, the day Khashoggi entered the consulate for paperwork related to his re-marriage.

ERDOGAN CHALLENGES RIYADH

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly challenged Saudi Arabia for an explanation about the journalist's disappearance.

During a phone conversation on Sunday evening with Erdogan, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud expressed appreciation for the establishment of a joint investigation team with Turkey, saying "no one will undermine the strength" of Saudi-Turkish relations.

The Gulf kingdom has denied allegations of its involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance as "baseless," but failed to provide any meaningful evidence.

"Rest assured, we will get at the bottom of this and all the details will be shared with the international community. Turkey can not remain silent if the evidence tells us that he has been killed there," a Turkish government source told Xinhua.

"Everyone is watching our country in this incident and we are conducting a very thorough and comprehensive investigation with all concerned security parties," the source said on condition of anonymity.

The shocking incident has sparked international outcry, including Washington, ally of both Turkey and Saudi Arabia, as the missing journalist was in exile in the United States.

In a television interview during the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump said his country would get to the bottom of what happened to Khashoggi, vowing "severe punishment" if he were found to have been killed.

SAUDI ARABIA FIRES BACK

The U.S. threats to impose sanctions infuriated Riyadh, which vowed on Sunday to "respond with greater action," as it plays "an influential and vital role in global economy."

The seemingly cordial relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia have become more complicated since the Arab Spring in 2011.

Turkey has close ties with Iran, Saudi Arabia's arch rival in the Middle East, and Qatar, a Gulf nation boycotted by a Saudi-led Arab quartet over a bitter political dispute.

In addition, Erdogan, a steadfast supporter of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, believes Saudi Arabia was a key player in the ouster of former Egyptian democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi back in 2013.

However, economic considerations play an important role in the Turkish strongman's apparent reluctance to escalate tensions with Riyadh, as Saudi Arabia has become a major investor in Turkey and Saudis are among the top foreign buyers of Turkish real estate.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

"This case looks like a very bad James Bond film. It has been conducted in a very amateurish way and Saudi Arabia also did very bad PR," Oytun Orhan, a researcher at the Ankara-based Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.

Orhan believes Turkey is playing on the international sensitivity in order to build a concerted front against Saudi Arabia.

If Khashoggi was confirmed dead, Turkey won't turn a blind eye to such a heinous crime on Turkish soil, but it will choose to act as part of a consortium of outraged nations, the Turkish expert explained.

Serkan Demirtas, a political analyst and journalist, echoed Orhan's arguments about Turkey's approach to the mysterious missing-person case.

"On the political side, Ankara seems to refrain from turning this incident into a long-term bilateral tension with Riyadh. It tries to arouse the international community for a more concerted action if Khashoggi was proven to be killed or forcefully apprehended," Demirtas told Xinhua.

Turkey itself is not running out of options. Its next steps could be expelling the Saudi diplomatic mission, calling back the Turkish ambassador and even cutting diplomatic ties.

"That would show to the rest of the world that Turkey is not a country where death squads can roam and kill dissidents," said Demirtas.