New Turkish ambassador demands Cypriot news outlets delete articles about him

The new Turkish ambassador in the north Yasin Ekrem Serim has taken out a court order to demand that three news outlets in the north delete articles which were written about him.

The articles in question focused on Serim’s previous business dealings in Cyprus, with it having been claimed in the Turkish Cypriot press that he was a business partner of late Turkish Cypriot businessman Halil Falyali, who, in related articles, was accused of “drug dealing, illegal betting, millions of dollars in money laundering, and blackmail”.

As a result of the court order, three Cypriot news outlets, namely news websites Bugun Kibris and Gazedda, and daily newspaper Ozgur Gazete, were all served with letters demanding they remove articles referring to Serim’s reported relationship with Falyali and Falyali’s reported illicit means of business.

However, Turkish court orders such as the one issued to the three news outlets are not applicable in the north, and all the articles the court requested be deleted remain live on their websites.

The three outlets wrote that Falyali had established a company by the name of Northern Associates Trading Ltd in 2020, and that Serim and his brother Halil Ibrahim Serim were both partners of the company, owning a combined 10 per cent share.

The company reportedly dealt with land sales, construction, the import and export of machinery, as well as the running of various entertainment venues.

When news broke of the partnership shortly after Falyali was shot dead in 2022, Serim told the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee that his dealings with Falyali amounted to nothing more than a property sale.

“There is no partnership regarding the issue in question. There was a building that was sold,” he said.

However, opposition party CHP MP, and now CHP leader, Ozgur Ozel, made it clear that he did not believe Serim’s account of events.

“Deputy foreign minister Yasin Ekrem Serim. He was alleged to be the partner of Halil Falyali, the Cypriot businessman who was known for his drug dealing, illegal betting, millions of dollars in money laundering, and his blackmail, who was killed a year ago. It is alleged [Serim] was a partner in his company,” he began.

“He was asked about it in the foreign affairs committee, he said he did not want to answer. The document is here. This is a document from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. According to this document, he had a partnership with Halil Falyali.”

Both Bugun Kibris and Ozgur Gazete have publicly responded to the letter sent, with Bugun Kibris saying, “the truth of the ‘claims’ in the articles and much more have been proven by our newspaper with documents.”

“It is unacceptable that Serim is trying to put pressure on the press in the north of Cyprus before he even takes office,” they added.

“We consider these attempts to have our articles deleted as an act against the freedom of the press. We would also like to issue a reminder that the laws in Turkey do not bind us. This is a different country and it has its own laws.”

Ozgur Gazete’s response was shorter and cheekier, saying “Serim did not deny the news and did not make a statement denying he had established a joint company with the assassinated illegal betting baron Halil Falyali.”

Serim was appointed as Turkey’s ambassador in the north just over a week ago, replacing Metin Feyzioglu. He had previously obtained his bachelor’s degree in the north, studying at the Girne American University in Kyrenia.