High-stakes legal battle rocks Cyprus

Today, the Turkish Cypriot lawyer arrested in Rome will respond to whether he consents to his extradition to the Republic of Cyprus.

This follows a European arrest warrant related to articles of the penal code regarding the exploitation and sale of Greek Cypriot property in the occupied territories.

Cyprus authorities were notified on New Year's Eve about Akan Kyursiat's arrest in Rome, where he had traveled with his wife, a "MP" of RTK and the "vice president of the parliament," Fazilet Oznenefe.

The Turkish Cypriot newspaper Dialog reported that all eyes are on Kyursiat's response today. He has been in custody in Italy for the past 15 days.

According to reports, the court in Rome is expected to present documents, likely from the defense, claiming that the Central Prisons of the Republic are not safe, especially for Turkish Cypriots. Reference will be made to the murder of convicted Turkish Cypriot Tansu Chindan in the Central Prisons in October 2022.

[With information sourced from CNA]