Prison escapee from Turkey assaults his girlfriend in Northern Cyprus: woman in intensive care

A 37-year-old man who escaped from prison in Turkey's Osmaniye province, after illegally entering Northern Cyprus, became involved in another serious crime. In the Tatlısu area, he brutally attacked his girlfriend, causing her to suffer a brain hemorrhage.

According to police, the incident occurred on January 18 in one of Tatlısu’s bars. The suspect, F.S., inflicted severe bodily harm on his girlfriend R.Ş. The victim was urgently taken to the Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital in Lefkoşa, where she was admitted.

The suspect himself was arrested on January 20, two days after the assault, during a police special operation — directly in the same hospital where the victim was receiving treatment.

During questioning, the man admitted that:

• in June 2025 he escaped from prison in Osmaniye,
• secretly boarded a ship in the port of Mersin,
• illegally arrived at the port of Kyrenia,
• lived in Tatlısu for seven months, hiding from authorities.

Police informed the court that the investigation is in its early stages and may be expanded, including matters of illegal border crossing. The court decided to keep the suspect in custody for another two days.