Two more arrested in Turkey in connection to Falyali murder

Two more arrests have taken place in Istanbul in relation to the murder of Turkish Cypriot businessman Halil Falyali, the Cyprus News Agency said on Friday, citing Turkish media.

This brings the arrests made in Turkey to eight, while six more people have been arrested in the north so far, two of whom worked as bodyguards for Falyali.

Police have reportedly interrogated close to 100 people and are planning to take 60-70 more statements. In addition, four cars have been identified as being involved in the incident and two more are being sought.

Three of the suspects arrested in Istanbul have been identified as members of the Soylemez Brothers, a well-known criminal organisation in Turkey.

Its leader Mustafa Soylemez was seen in the north on the night of the murder, and authorities have traced some items of clothing found near the crime scene to him.

In a recent update, Turkish newspaper Sözcü said that a pair of gloves found on the scene most likely belonged to the mob boss, but the results of the fingerprint analysis are reportedly not out yet.

Falyali was gunned down on the evening of February 8 while being driven home, and later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. His driver also died in the attack.

His gangland-style execution has created a stir in the north and beyond, giving way to speculation about Falyali’s alleged links to the underworld.

As for the Soylemez Brothers, a Turkish criminal court judge who gave them their first sentence in 1999 told Sözcü that they are essentially untouchable in Turkey and “have connections in the deep state”.