Hitman arrested for armed attack in Çatalköy; remanded in custody

A 21-year-old suspect identified as G.M., who allegedly entered the country as a contract killer and carried out an armed attack in Çatalköy, appeared before court once again yesterday. 

Police revealed that the suspect had been hired to commit the crime for a fee of 250,000 Turkish Lira.

The investigating officer stated that the incident occurred on May 11, 2025, at around 1:00 p.m. on Mersinli Street in Çatalköy. According to police, the suspect unlawfully discharged a firearm at a vehicle parked in the yard of a residence belonging to an individual identified as N.İ.

It was confirmed that G.M. had entered the northern part of Cyprus on the same day. However, the motive behind targeting the specific vehicle remains unknown.

Officer Şanlıer informed the court that the suspect was identified and apprehended within 40 minutes of fleeing the scene by taxi. During questioning, G.M. admitted to discarding the weapon and his clothing in a nearby streambed. Based on his directions, police recovered a Glock-brand pistol made in Austria, along with two socks and a t-shirt believed to have been used during the incident.

The court had previously granted a three-day extension for further investigation. During this period, police uncovered that the suspect had arranged the hit through a contact on Telegram while in Turkey, agreeing to commit the crime in exchange for 250,000 TL.

Investigations also revealed that G.M. fled the scene in a different vehicle after the attack. Furthermore, N.İ., the owner of the targeted vehicle, had reportedly received threatening messages. Police are currently examining whether there was any communication between the device used to send the threats and the suspect’s phone.

Although a weapon was recovered at the suspect’s direction, ballistic analysis confirmed it was not the firearm used in the shooting.

The officer stated that the remaining parts of the investigation would not be hindered by the suspect’s detention and requested that G.M. be held in custody pending trial. 

The judge granted the request and ordered that the suspect be remanded in custody for a period not exceeding 75 days.