Student sentenced to six years in prison for violent knife attack in Northern Cyprus

Lefkosia, Cyprus – Muhammet Ali Bulut, a university student who arrived in Northern Cyprus for educational purposes, has been sentenced to six years in prison following his conviction for seriously injuring two individuals with a knife during a violent altercation in Gönyeli. 

The ruling was delivered by the Lefkcosia High Criminal Court on Wednesday June 4.

The incident occurred in the early hours of April 24, 2024, after a dispute over a girl escalated between Bulut and Ahmet Toy. According to the court's findings, the two men exchanged hostile messages via Instagram before arranging to meet on Gümüş Street, a public area in Gönyeli. A physical fight ensued, during which Bulut, in possession of a knife, slashed Toy in the back of the head, leaving a 3-centimeter wound.

The violence didn’t end there. Bulut also attacked a taxi driver, Cihat Alp, who had intervened in an attempt to break up the fight. The court heard that Alp sustained injuries to his right thumb and index finger, left elbow, and chest as a result of being stabbed.

The judge highlighted that Bulut had already been out on bail for a previous violent incident involving robbery, kidnapping, and threats of violence committed on December 25, 2023. The defendant and two accomplices reportedly entered a business premises and forcibly stole two mobile phones worth a combined total of $950, threatening the owner, M.K., with spinal injury if he refused to hand them over.

In delivering the verdict, the judge emphasized the severity and societal impact of such violent offenses, stating, “The law prescribes a life sentence for grievous bodily harm under Chapter 154 of the Penal Code. The severity of the punishment reflects the seriousness of the crime committed.”

She further noted the troubling pattern of rising knife-related violence and reiterated the judiciary’s responsibility to protect public safety by imposing deterrent sentences. “The defendant, who came to this country as a student, should have respected our laws. Instead, he committed grave offenses that severely threaten the peace and safety of our community,” the judge stated. “People like the defendant have undermined our reputation as a safe country. Such individuals must be removed from society.”

The judge warned that without strict legal repercussions, violent altercations involving easily accessible knives could become increasingly common. “If leniency is shown, we risk normalizing violence and facing more devastating consequences.”

The court also drew comparisons to legal frameworks in the UK, from which Northern Cyprus derives much of its legal code, where carrying sharp objects in public spaces is strictly prohibited and severely punished.

In conclusion, the court found Bulut guilty of grievous bodily harm and unlawful possession of a knife, sentencing him to six years in prison.