Confessed killer remanded in brutal Kioneli murder

A man in the north suspected in the gruesome murder of his former lady friend was remanded in custody for eight days, while two others accused of providing cover for him went free on bail.

A Turkish Cypriot judge ordered on Monday the remand of Fatih Cikrikci, the man who is believed to have killed his ex-girlfriend, 45-year-old Gulbahar Ulutan, by brutally stabbing her to death over a dozen times last Wednesday in Kionelli. Neighbours who heard the woman’s screams rushed to her aid only to find her on the floor in a pool of blood.

Cikrikci was arrested on Friday in a farmhouse at a nearby village, following the release of his photo by authorities. He was placed into custody for an initial three days, while two other males accused of helping him evade capture were detained on Sunday and made bail on Monday. They have been placed on a stop list and are not allowed to travel outside the north.

The two men, aged 35 and 39, are alleged to have assisted the suspect in getting away from the crime scene, which was a house where the victim worked as a housekeeper. Reports suggest one of them or both men may have provided a change of clothes for the suspect.

Media reports in the north said Ulutan did not want to be with Cikrikci, with the suspect reportedly admitting to authorities in a voluntary statement that he killed his ex lover because she did not want to get back together with him.