Hired for 250,000 TL: Suspect in Çatalköy Shooting to Remain in Custody for 8 More Days

The 21-year-old suspect, who is accused of carrying out the shooting shortly after arriving in the country, was brought before the court again as part of the ongoing investigation by the Girne Criminal Branch, which has solved five separate armed incidents in the past two years.

Investigating officer Cemal Şanlıer told the court that the shooting took place on 11 May 2025 at around 1:00 p.m. on Mersinli Street in Çatalköy. According to Şanlıer, Mete opened fire on a vehicle parked in the garden of a residence belonging to N.İ using an unlicensed firearm.

Police determined that Mete had entered the TRNC earlier that same day. The motive behind the attack on the vehicle remains unclear. Mete was arrested within 40 minutes of the shooting while fleeing in a taxi.

The suspect reportedly confessed to discarding the firearm and his clothing in a nearby stream. Based on his statement, police recovered a Glock pistol of Austrian make, two socks, and a T-shirt. Initially, the court had granted three days of detention.

Further investigation revealed that Mete had allegedly communicated with an individual via a messaging application in Turkey, agreeing to carry out the shooting for a payment of 250,000 TL. Police also determined that the suspect had used a different vehicle to flee the scene.

Şanlıer added that N.İ had received threatening messages and that investigators are examining whether the phone used to send those messages was in contact with Mete’s device. However, ballistic tests later showed that the Glock recovered from the stream was not the weapon used in the attack.

The police are continuing their investigation to locate the actual weapon used and identify who may have placed the Glock in the stream. The vehicle used during the escape is also being sought.

Highlighting the serious nature of the allegations, Judge Evren Mürsel approved the police request for an additional eight days of detention.