Unemployed Turkish Man Posed as a Realtor and Rented Out Someone Else’s House in Nicosia

A Turkish tourist was caught in a real estate scam in Northern Cyprus. The fraudster was arrested while trying to re-enter the country through Kyrenia port.

The man, identified as Oğuz Çalış, appeared in court the day after his arrest. A police officer explained during the hearing that Çalış had been detained for fraudulently obtaining money.

According to the investigation, between February 6 and 27, 2024, the 41-year-old unemployed man from Turkey had been staying in the TRNC as a tourist. During that time, he rented a house in Nicosia. Later, he posed as a real estate agent and re-rented the property for 18,000 Turkish lira. After collecting the money, he fled the island.

The police stated that the suspect had been wanted for several months. On September 8, he was arrested while attempting to return to the TRNC through Kyrenia port on a 30-day visa.

The court has ordered that the suspect be held in custody for three more days as the investigation continues.