Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described in detail for the first time how the "political murder" of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was planned and carried out by a team of 15 Saudis.

Mr Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor living in the United States since 2017, was killed on 2 October after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for paperwork ahead of his marriage to his Turkish fiancée.

According to Mr Erdogan, this is how the murder plot unfolded:

Friday 28 September

11:50am: Mr Khashoggi goes to the Saudi consulate for marriage-related paperwork. After this visit, the plan for Mr Khashoggi's murder is put into action. Some consulate employees urgently return to Saudi Arabia for "preparatory work".

Monday 1 October

4:30pm: A three-man Saudi team arrives in Istanbul on a scheduled plane and goes to their hotel after which they go to the Saudi consulate. 

On the same day, another team of Saudi officials from the consulate carry out a reconnaissance of Belgrade Forest in Istanbul and the northwestern province of Yalova. 

Tuesday 2 October

1:45am: A second three-man team arrives on another scheduled plane in Istanbul and goes to their hotel. A third team of nine men, including generals, arrives in Istanbul on a private plane on the same day and goes to a different hotel.

9:50-11am: The 15 men arrive at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul separately. They then destroy the consulate's camera system's hard disc, Mr Erdogan said.

11:50am: Mr Khashoggi receives a telephone call confirming his appointment to finalise the marriage paperwork that day.

1:08pm: Mr Khashoggi enters the consulate, arriving at the building with his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, who waits outside. He is never heard from again by his friends or family.

5:50pm: Ms Cengiz contacts Turkish officials to say that Mr Khashoggi has been held or "something bad" has happened to him. A Turkish investigation is opened into the case.

At this point, based on security camera footage, Turkish officials believe that Mr Khashoggi has not left the building.

6:20pm: Six of the 15 Saudis leave Turkey on a private plane. The team of 15 includes security and intelligence officers as well as forensic experts.

10:50pm: Seven more of the Saudis leave Turkey on another private plane.

Post-midnight: One of the men, attempting to look like Mr Khashoggi, and another individual leave on a scheduled plane for Riyadh.