Newsroom
By Yiannis Souliotis
Secret meetings in a basement in Istanbul involving members of a so-called “cell,” along with the role of a mysterious German man who reportedly lived in a safe house on Governor’s Beach in Cyprus, are among the new details emerging in the high-profile terrorism case now coming to light, according to “K”.
The testimony of a 37-year-old suspect arrested in Crete is scheduled for today. He denies being an active member of Hamas. Police sources say three key figures in the case were holding meetings in the Başakşehir suburb of Istanbul, where members of a Palestinian network were staying. During those meetings, plans were allegedly discussed for attacks not only in Cyprus and Greece but also in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, and Myanmar.
At one point, it is claimed that one of the suspects arrested in Cyprus was asked to transport chemical substances by sea to Greece for the production of explosives. That plan was later changed after the recruitment of the 37-year-old suspect, known as “Yousef,” who was arrested in a hotel in Agios Nikolaos, Crete.
Meanwhile, investigators say there are growing indications linking members of the network to Germany.
The 37-year-old suspect arrested in Crete was found to be using a German mobile phone number. When Cypriot authorities arrested two Palestinians earlier in the investigation, they discovered they were in contact with a German phone number. Wiretaps and digital tracking reportedly led them to the 37-year-old. Further links to Germany also emerged after anti-terror unit officers took a statement from a Palestinian hotel employee in Agios Nikolaos, who said the suspect’s roommate had previously traveled to Germany.
Perhaps the most striking detail is that a mysterious German man allegedly lived in the rented safehouse on Governor’s Beach, where a 38-year-old Palestinian known by the nickname “the cook” was arrested.
That same house was intended to host members of the cell involved in the planned attack in Cyprus. Investigators say the German man was staying there at the same time and is even alleged to have provided money to help finance the group’s activities.
The “cook”
As for the suspect arrested in Crete, the 37-year-old Yousef reportedly told investigators in his statement that he was recruited by one of the suspects arrested in Cyprus, a 38-year-old known as “the cook.”
He allegedly promised him a job as an electrician in Malaysia with a monthly salary of $2,000. The 37-year-old first traveled to Indonesia, where he met a Palestinian believed to hold a leadership role in the network. There, he was told the real purpose of the trip was training in explosives, and he was later persuaded to travel to Kuala Lumpur.
In Malaysia, he met the man known as “the cook,” who allegedly trained him for 10 days and gave him $10,000 for a planned attack in Athens.
After returning, the 37-year-old reportedly made two online orders, though he did not collect the second shipment, which contained a quantity of acid.
In recent months, he is said to have stepped back from the plan. In December 2025, he even met a network member in Plateia Amerikis (a 32-year-old also arrested in the Cyprus case), returning $3,700 of the money he had received.
