Turkish Cyprus requests documents on journalist's murder from Ankara

Nikolaos Stelya / DUVAR

Turkish Cypriot police requested documents concerning the murder of Turkish Cypriot journalist Kutlu Adalı from Ankara on July 6, the anniversary of the killing. 

Adalı's murder has come back into the spotlight after mafia leader Sedat Peker implicated former minister Mehmet Ağar and former intelligence official Korkut Eken in the journalist's killing. 

The mafia leader said that his own brother Atilla Peker was commissioned for the killing, but someone else moved before him. Atilla Peker was detained hours after his brother's claims, but was subsequently released. 

Peker went to the prosecutor's office voluntarily to give the details of his alleged cooperation with Eken and Ağar regarding the murder plot.

"The murder case was put back into prosecution as a result of [Peker's] claims. The information in question was requested from the Turkish Republic in this context," said Turkish Cypriot police in an official statement.

The request was placed as part of a contract with Ankara concerning the extradition of criminals, enforcement of promulgations and judicial cooperation, the Turkish Cypriot police added.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriots commemorated Adalı on the anniversary of his murder with visits to his gravesite and a march.

Adalı was shot dead in front of his home in 1996 in Nicosia. His killers have no been so far identified.