Fugitive Who Escaped TRNC by Boat Caught 9 Months Later at Ercan Airport

A man who fled Northern Cyprus by boat and was presumed missing for months has been arrested while trying to re-enter the country illegally through Ercan Airport.

According to the police, 26-year-old Sıtkı Akargöl was detained on the evening of March 3 as he attempted to enter the TRNC. He had been missing for nine months. After his arrest, he was taken to the police station for questioning.

Authorities had previously reported that on May 10, 2024, then 25-year-old Sıtkı Akargöl and 35-year-old Emre Arslan left an unauthorized port at the Kumyalı fishing shelter. They set out to sea on a boat named Yeşilim, supposedly for a fishing trip, but never returned.

A search operation was conducted for several days before police announced that their investigation had determined the men had illegally fled the country in an attempt to escape abroad.