Suspected bank robber persuaded to surrender

ISTANBUL

An Uzbek national who attempted an armed robbery at a private bank in Antalya province was detained after being convinced by the security forces.

The suspect walked in a private bank early on on Dec. 17 in Muratpaşa district of Antalya province, while carrying a mechanism, which had the appearance of a bomb, in his hand, according to Demirören News Agency.

The suspect forced the security guard to lie on the ground, took the gun from him and ordered the bank employees and customers to go outside.

“Get your coat while going outside, It’s cold. You’ll be back in an hour. Don’t worry,” the suspect said to employees, according to testimony of a bank customer.

Customers and bank employees who fled in panic first thought it was an security exercise or a joke, it was reported.

After a special operations team was dispatched to the scene, the suspect was persuaded to surrender as a result of the efforts of police officers.

In a statement, the Governor’s Office of Antalya said that the suspect was an Uzbek national born in 1979, allegedly a doctor and was carrying a blank pistol during the robbery.

The suspect was defrauded and engaged in the robbery to draw attention to his case, he said, according to the statement.