Well-known Turkish Cypriot businessman gunned down, killed

A well-known Turkish Cypriot businessman was attacked and killed by gunmen while in his car in Kyrenia, media in the north reported on Tuesday.

Halil Falyali was reportedly being driven home by a chauffeur when men with automatic guns attacked the car he was in.

According to newspaper Haber Kibris, the driver was also killed, and Falyali was taken to hospital after being seriously injured, where he was later pronounced dead.

Falyali’s family, who were following him in a second car, were not harmed in the attack.

The businessman was namechecked by Turkish gang leader Sedat Peker back in May, in one of the videos he posted with revelations about many political figures in Turkey and their alleged shady activities.

Peker in his video had also claimed that Falyali, who owned a casino hotel in Kyrenia, was involved in drug trafficking and money laundering in the north through his businesses in cooperation with Erkan Yildirim, son of former Turkish prime minister between 2016 and 2018, Binali Yıldırım.

Falyali had refuted these claims and said he was not involved in any drugs cases and had never met in person with any of these individuals.