From a simple verbal altercation to a brutal beating. This is the scenario investigators are examining regarding the attack on a 47-year-old Turkish Cypriot in Ayia Napa.
Police initially arrested three young tourists, all 18 years old and originally from Albania, Chile, and Iraq, while around 2:00 p.m., a fourth suspect, an 18-year-old, was arrested at Larnaca Airport.
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The motives
Early Sunday morning, the 47-year-old was in the area with a friend, but around 5 a.m., they went their separate ways. A few minutes later, under circumstances that are under investigation, he became involved in a heated argument with a group of tourists who struck him. As a result of the blows, the 47-year-old collapsed to the ground. A short time later, police officers found him covered in blood on Agia Mavri Street.
Investigators are looking into whether the assailants were intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
“There is some information that is being evaluated,” said Byron Vyronos, Police Spokesperson.
The victim’s condition is considered serious by the attending physicians. He is hospitalized and on a ventilator at Nicosia General Hospital.
Investigations so far indicate that the victim did not know the young men, who were scheduled to leave Cyprus this afternoon. Closed-circuit video footage is being reviewed, and statements are being taken.
In any case, the brutal attack on a Turkish Cypriot is sparking strong reactions in the occupied territories. The incident is dominating the Turkish Cypriot press, while Tufan Erhürman, in a statement, is calling for a full investigation into the attack.
“There is no evidence that this was a crime related to ethnicity, hatred, or anything else. They have been questioned and have provided their own accounts, which are being evaluated,” said Byron Vyronos.
Watch Katerina Ioannou’s report:
Reactions in the occupied territories
The incident is being exploited for political gain in the occupied territories.
As Hatice Kerlo reported on Alpha TV’s main newscast, former Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar unequivocally condemned the incident, noting that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred.
He also did not fail to mention the increasingly evident Turkophobia and hate speech directed against the “Turkish Cypriot people in ‘southern Cyprus’”
At the same time, there is extensive coverage in the Turkish Cypriot press, particularly from outlets that support Tatar’s stance.
On the other hand, Tufan Erhurman has been following the case from the very beginning, posting updates on the progress of the Cypriot Police’s investigation.
