Leader of the Social Democrat Party in North Cyprus Tozun Tunali, has announced his party has launched a petition calling for the return of convicted local businessman Asil Nadir to the TRNC.
The announcement is the latest in a series of reports involving Asil Nadir, who is currently serving a prison sentence in the UK.
Tunali argued that the North needs Asil Nadir, who is a man of importance for the Turkish Cypriots. Nadir was the chief of the influential Kibris Media Group, which publishes the newspaper ‘Kibris Gazetesi’ and the English language bi-weekly ‘Cyprus Today’.
Nadir fled the UK while awaiting trial for stealing money from Polly Peck International in 1993, however, he returned to London in 2010 to face trial. He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment having been found found guilty on ten counts of theft amounting to £29 million from his company Polly Peck International. The company collapsed following investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.
This April, Turkish media reports suggested that Nadir could be deported to Turkey after he willingly relinquished his British citizenship.
‘Kibris Postasi’, citing Turkish ‘Daily Sabah’ said that there were fears that he would be released if he was sent to Turkey. The reported noted that the UK government was “waiting for the elections to end on 7th May, before any action was taken.”
Famagusta Gazette
