Suspect in London's murder caught in north Cyprus

A man suspected of having committed a murder in the United Kingdom was arrested in north Cyprus and brought to the Lefkosa district court on Tuesday after evidence emerged linking him with the crime.

He is accused of shooting 22-year-old Ismail Tanrikulu dead at a cemetery in London’s Tottenham shortly before 8am on September 3, 2018. Tanrikulu was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another man, Musa Duru, was tried in London over the murder, but was acquitted in March 2019, with a jury unanimously finding him not guilty.

In court on Tuesday, deputy police inspector said the new suspect had been found to be in north Cyprus last year, and that following correspondence between the British and Turkish Cypriot authorities, it was decided in October last year that he would be tried in north Cyprus.

A team from the Turkish Cypriot police then travelled to the UK last month to obtain statements, after which it became possible to start the man’s trial.

Police explained that Tanrikulu had been shot in the arm, with the bullet then passing into his abdomen, causing him to die of internal bleeding.

He said the suspect caught a flight from London’s Stansted airport to Istanbul at 12.05am on September 5, 2018, before boarding a flight to north Cyprus the following day.

He added that the man was born in the UK but has not returned to the country, or left north Cyprus at all, since he arrived on the island on September 6, 2018.

Additionally, he said, the suspect was sentenced to five years in prison in north Cyprus on December 27 last year after having been found guilty of burglary, intentionally vandalising private property, and carrying a firearm without a licence.

With this in mind, he said that the suspect would ordinarily be released in 16 months for his prior conviction, and as such requested that he continue to be held there for a period not exceeding three months pending a trial for the murder.

The judge agreed to his request, while the man will likely face trial in the new year.