Photographs of a Pakistani national Muhammad Salman suspected of murdering the well-known artist Hasan Işık Özgöçmen, have been circulated by the police.
Özgöçmen was discovered beaten and strangled by his own belt in some woods in Iskele. Police checked security camera footage in the local area which showed that Salman was with Özgöçmen on the day of the murder. Police determined that the murder took place on Friday, 28 September, the day the local security cameras were examined.
Salman arrived in the TRNC in 2015 and worked at several different jobs. He became unemployed in June which made it illegal for him to remain in the country.
It was learned that Salman had confided in a friend that he had done something bad and had to get out of the country. He said he would try and get to Limassol in the south.
It is thought that Salman may have tried to leave the TRNC illegally.
Turkish Cypriot Co-Chair of the bi-communal criminal tribunal for human rights, Celal Onen said that they had given the necessary information to the Greek Cypriot side about the possibility that Salman may have tried to cross over to the Greek Cypriot side. He has not received any information from the Greek Cypriot authorities as yet, he said.
Kibris