British police are defending their actions as the search continues for three British teenage girls believed to have travelled to Turkey and to be heading to Syria to support extremists.
The case has generated wide attention. Turkish officials have complained that British officials waited three days before seeking help in the case, losing valuable time.
But the Metropolitan Police said today they notified Turkish officials one day after the girls went missing last week.
"Once we established that the girls had travelled to Turkey, police made contact with the foreign liaison officer at the Turkish Embassy in London on Wednesday, 18 February," police said in a statement.
The families of Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15, have implored them to return home.
