Businessman gunned down in north Nicosia

A local businessman in the north was gunned down on Wednesday with reports speculating the killers possibly fled to the south with half a million in cash.

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According to Turkish Cypriot media, a currency exchange owner described as 52-year-old Gokhan Naim was receiving threatening phone calls days before he was shot on Wednesday late afternoon in north Nicosia.

Reports said Naim arrived at his residence around 5:55pm and was shot six times, with four bullets striking him as he fell to the ground.

The businessman was rushed to the Emergency Room at Burhan Nalbantoglu Public Hospital, where doctors tried to stabilize him but he passed away.

Witnesses said they saw a vehicle speeding away immediately after the shooting, with some reports pointing to a white rental car with Turkish Cypriot registration plate GV014. The car, which was rented out in early March and was due back Wednesday, was later found abandoned in Lurucina near the buffer zone.

Police said they were treating the incident as armed assault while reports said two bags were left at the scene, one of which was found empty. According to media speculation, the perpetrators managed to get away with over 3 million lira (€500,000).

Last September there was another robbery at Naim’s place of business, where a suspect broke in and grabbed 14,000 lira. The suspect was convicted and sentenced to prison according to reports.

No details were made known about the suspects or whether they are believed to be locals or foreign nationals. According to some Turkish Cypriot reports , the suspects may have fled south in the Republic of Cyprus.