Head of the Turkish Cypriot Bar Association: The country is facing a rise of criminal gangs — urgent measures are needed

President of the Turkish Cypriot Bar Association (KTBB) Hasan Esendağlı issued a strong warning about the rapid growth of extortion and intimidation gangs in Northern Cyprus. He stressed that the situation directly affects citizens’ safety and requires an immediate response from the authorities.

According to Esendağlı, a wide range of groups are under threat — from car dealership owners to journalists: “These criminal structures create an atmosphere of fear. People live in constant anxiety and feel unsafe.”

He noted that the police are doing everything possible to combat criminal groups, but current efforts are not sufficient: “In the past, suspects could be stopped before committing a crime. Now they are identified only after they have already acted.” Esendağlı warned that if the inflow of members of criminal networks continues to grow, “tragic outcomes are easy to predict.”

He named tightening border control and blocking the entry of criminal elements as key measures: “Many of them enter the country legally — as tourists. Close cooperation with the relevant authorities in Turkey must be established to stop them at the point of entry.” According to him, this requires political will and swift administrative decisions.