More detentions made in casino owner murder case

ISTANBUL

Five more people have been detained both in Turkey and Turkish Cyprus following the assassination of a casino owner in the northern part of the island.

Mustafa Söylemez, the leader of the notorious criminal organization known as the Söylemez Brothers, and his two men were taken into custody in Istanbul on Feb. 9 for alleged involvement in the armed attack on Turkish Cypriot businessman Halil Falyalı, according to Demirören News Agency (DHA).

No more detailed statement has been received from authorities yet.

Mustafa Söylemez’s name was often mentioned in a series of murders, shootings and other mafia-related crimes that were committed in Turkey during the 1990s and whose perpetrators were “mostly” not found.

Earlier in the day, two suspects, who were believed to be indirectly related to the murder, were detained at Ercan Airport, located near Lefkoşa, while they were heading to Turkey.

Another suspect allegedly present at the crime scene during the murder is still being interrogated by the Turkish Cypriot police authorities.

Meanwhile, Falyalı was laid to rest yesterday after a funeral ceremony held in Kumyalı Village located in the Karpasia peninsula of the island.

He was shot dead in a drive-by shooting with long-barreled weapons at the entrance to Çatalköy town of Kyrenia (Girne) on Feb. 8.