3 suspects in fatal shooting of Palestinian nabbed in Romania

ISTANBUL

Three suspects wanted in connection to a fatal shooting of a Palestinian businessman in Istanbul have been detained in Romania, Turkish police said late on Aug. 20.

A Palestinian man was shot dead on Aug. 18 evening as he sat in a car in the Kağıthane district when a masked assailant targeted another Palestinian businessman who remains in critical condition.

Following the incident, the hitman and two fellow accomplices switched vehicles three times and exited the country within two and a half hours.

Investigative teams traced the suspects’ route, discovering they initially crossed into Bulgaria before proceeding to Romania.

Determining that the fugitives had boarded a flight with the intention of fleeing to Israel, the Istanbul police coordinated a joint operation with the Romanian Interpol unit.

Due to the protracted process of issuing a red notice and to prevent any delay at this critical juncture, Romania's Interpol unit responded affirmatively to a "diffusion" message, dispatched by Türkiye’s Interpol.

The police noted that the process to issue a red notice for the suspects' extradition is ongoing, adding that extradition will follow once this procedure is completed.

The official statement also clarified that any potential political motivations behind the murder have been conclusively ruled out, attributing the incident instead to a debt-related dispute.