PodcastThree detained in Istanbul for murder of Turkish Cypriot mob boss Halil Falyalı
Turkish police have announced that three suspects were detained in Istanbul regarding the murder of Halil Falyalı, a mob boss known for his involvement with betting and casinos in Northern Cyprus. Exiled organized crime leader Sedat Peker had previously named Falyalı as one of the key actors in cocaine trade to Turkey.
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The Turkish General Directorate of Security announced on Feb. 9 that three people have been detained regarding the murder of Halil Falyalı, a so-called businessman in Turkish Cyprus who allegedly gained massive wealth through illegal means.
The detainees were Mustafa Söylemez, the leader of the criminal organization known as the "Söylemez Brothers", and two of his men, according to reporting by Demirören news agency on Feb. 10.
After committing the murder, the suspects allegedly crossed to Turkey by boat from Northern Cyprus. The questioning of the suspects continues at the Istanbul Police Station, Demirören news agency said.
Falyalı, known for his involvement in casinos and betting, was killed on Feb. 8 in a drive-by shooting in the city of Girne of Turkish Cyprus.
He is most well known for accusations mob boss-turned-informant Sedat Peker made against him in a May 2021 video.
The video, the seventh that Peker released, detailed the cocaine trade to Turkey, allegedly overseen by former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım's son Erkan Yıldırım. Mehmet Ağar, a former police chief and politician involved in violence in Turkey in the 1990s, and Falyalı were also, Peker said, critical to the drug trade.