Turkish fashion designer detained in Cyprus over drugs
Ömer Bilge - NICOSIA
Barbaros Şansal, a famous designer in Turkey, bought a house in Kyrenia in February and began spending most of his time on the island.
A narcotic dog warned the police at Ercan Airport on the Turkish side of Nicosia when it sniffed Şansal’s pocket, which held 6 grams of marijuana on May 12.
Turkish Cypriot police requested a three-day detention of Şansal for the investigation, but the court in Nicosia limited his detention to one day.
Şansal, who is expected to be released on bail with a ban on leaving the country, will appear before the court again on May 13.
The designer, a former assistant of Turkish fashion master Yıldırım Mayruk, also made headlines with his support for the Gezi Park protests in 2013.
Şansal and Mayruk have bought a house in Kyrenia’s Karmi village, which is mostly populated by Britons.