Murder suspects may have been illegally taken to north

The two men accused of murdering 45-year-old Ayca Alav before escaping to the Republic two weeks ago may have been transferred back to the north illegally, it emerged on Wednesday.

The Turkish Cypriot police had said on Tuesday that the pair had been “identified and arrested in Pyla”, though reports surfacing on Wednesday told a different story.

Turkish Cypriot newspaper Yeni Duzen reported that the pair were “smuggled from the south to the north, trusting two Turkish Cypriots who they thought would smuggle them to Egypt.”

They added that the Turkish Cypriot police were “aware of the process” and waiting near Pyla to be handed the suspects.

However, the Republic’s police told the Cyprus Mail they had no knowledge of the case or the Turkish Cypriot-led operation to find and apprehend the two suspects in the Republic.

In addition, a spokesman for the justice ministry told the Cyprus Mail they also had no knowledge of the case, and declined to pass comment on the matter.

After handing the suspects over to the police, reports say the two Turkish Cypriots returned to the Republic.

Fans were added to the flames by co-chairman of the Bicommunal Technical Committee on crime Sali Can Doratli, who said his committee had taken “no action” on the matter.

In essence, therefore, the arrests likely took place outside of the agreed upon structures regarding fugitives who cross the Green Line.

One of the two Turkish Cypriots involved in the operation, Huseyin Demirel, filmed the handover of the suspects to the Turkish Cypriot police. In the footage, he is seen with the suspects in his own personal vehicle.

The other, Ufuk Hasan, said he had been a part of a “secret mission” which lasted for four or five days. He added that he “gained the trust” of the suspects before contacting the Turkish Cypriot police and taking them to Pyla.

He said the suspects had not been returned to the north “with identity cards” and that the Turkish Cypriot police had not moved into the south within the scope of the operation.