Attempt to cover up traffic accident uncovered in Lefkoşa-Gazimağusa highway incident

Lefkoşa, 12 July 2025 — A traffic accident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday on the Lefkoşa-Gazimağusa main road has led to the arrest of three individuals after an attempted cover-up was uncovered by police investigators.

According to a statement from the Police Press Office, the incident took place at approximately 12:50 a.m. on 12 July 2025. A vehicle with license plate number ZG 520, traveling eastbound, lost control upon approaching the Halkbank roundabout. The car struck the curb stones, mounted the roundabout, collided with a streetlight pole, and subsequently hit roadside steel barriers with its rear end due to the force of the impact.

Following the incident, further investigation revealed that the driver at the time of the accident was not Mete Çeliktaş, as initially claimed, but rather a 23-year-old male identified as E.Ç., who was under the influence of alcohol. E.Ç. was accompanied by a 36-year-old passenger, also identified as E.Ç., during the incident.

In an attempt to mislead law enforcement, the pair allegedly contacted a third individual, M.Ç. (25), and instructed him to appear at the scene and claim responsibility for the accident. M.Ç. falsely told the police that he had been driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.

All three individuals — E.Ç. (23), E.Ç. (36), and M.Ç. (25) — have been taken into custody as police continue their investigation into the matter.

Authorities have reiterated the seriousness of providing false information to police and warned that efforts to obstruct justice will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.