A man who was arrested for multiple offences, including “Battery, Disturbance, and Inappropriate Behaviour,” appeared in court yesterday in Nicosia, Kibris Postasi reported. This incident occurred during a “Peace Event” organised by the Republican Turkish Party, where the accused, Mehmet Alkış, reportedly engaged in aggressive behaviour towards CTP deputies Devrim Barçın and Ürün Solyalı.
On October 5, 2024, at approximately 11.20 am police responded to a disturbance on Arasta Street, which had been closed to traffic. They noticed Alkış driving a Suzuki Alto vehicle and informed him that the area was off-limits to vehicles. Witnesses reported that Alkış reacted violently by shoving Barçın in the chest and making threatening remarks, shouting phrases like, “What is it that we have suffered from you? Are you a man? You are becoming too much now“. His aggressive gestures involved waving his arms and hands around, creating a scene of chaos.
Following the incident, Alkış was taken to the interrogation room at the Nicosia Police. During questioning, he became disruptive, loudly questioning the legality of his arrest, asking, “What crime did I commit? I spent four years in prison“, banging on the interrogation table. Given his state and the nature of his actions, police had to use reasonable force to detain him. Alkış, along with others was jailed for violent assault in 2017.
The suspect later explained that he had been drinking the night before and returned to the scene to look for his lost shoes, denying having used aggressive language or knowing the MPs involved. However, the court, presided over by Senior Judge Gökhan Asafoğulları, ruled to detain him for three days while investigations continue.
