One detained over alleged link to murder of three Turks in Finland

HELSINKI – Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

Police have detained a Turkish national in the central Finnish town of Laukaa, as part of an investigation into the murder of three Turks in a local restaurant.

A Turkish-Finnish couple who owned a pizza restaurant in Laukaa, Aziz and Asiye Şekersöz, as well as a waitress working there, Kübra Turan, were shot dead on March 1, local police announced.

Another Turkish national, whose name has not been disclosed, has been detained on suspicion of being linked to the murders, Finnish police and the Turkish Embassy in Helsinki both announced on March 2.

The authorities said initial findings suggest that the murders were caused by a personal feud, potentially a financial dispute, rather than being a hate crime.

The Turkey Embassy released a statement about the incident, in which it said the Finnish and Turkish authorities are in touch to help shed light on the murders. It added that the Finnish police are expected to issue an official statement to give more information about the investigation soon.

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Secretary General Gürsel Tekin, who was contacted by the family of the victims, has condemned the killings.

“Our citizens living abroad are not alone,” Tekin said, urging the authorities to handle the investigation with care.

He also claimed that the family is devastated and is unable to communicate with the Turkish authorities in Finland, so CHP officials are following the issue.