Cemil Önal, a close associate of Northern Cypriot casino tycoon Halil Falyalı who was assassinated in 2022, was shot and killed yesterday in the Netherlands nearly two weeks after giving an interview in which he warned of threats to his life.

Önal, known as the “financial brain” behind Falyalı’s operations, was targeted on the terrace of Hotel Hoevevoorde in the Rijswijk city around 5.45 pm local time. The gunman has not yet been caught.

Dutch police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing and stated that “all possibilities remain on the table.” Witnesses reported hearing three gunshots at the scene. Önal was reportedly under the protection of US and Dutch intelligence agencies at the time of the attack.

In a recent interview withthe Northern Cyprus-based Bugün Kıbrıs editor-in-chief Ayşemdem Akın, Önal had made serious accusations involving Turkish and Cypriot politicians and government officials. He alleged corruption, bribery, blackmail, and money laundering tied to Falyalı’s business empire. “I am a black box. They will want to silence me,” Önal said in the interview, openly expressing fears for his life.

Accused of drug trafficking, casino tycoon Halil Falyalı assassinated in Northern Cyprus

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Journalist threatened after interview

Following the interview, journalist Ayşemdem Akın received a death threat linked to her reporting. Akın had been publishing a series titled Halil Falyalı Is Alive, which delved into the tycoon’s enduring influence and network. She was contacted by phone from a Turkish number and warned to stop the series. A woman on the call said, “I want to protect you,” but threatened that Akın would be killed if she continued. She claimed three individuals were already on the island “to do what’s necessary.”

Akın shared the 27-minute audio recording with police and filed an official complaint. “I stayed calm at first because of the contradictions in the threat,” she said. “But I will not back down.” Police have since contacted Turkish authorities to identify the owner of the phone line and possible connections.

Killing of Falyalı

Halil Falyalı, a prominent figure in the gambling and betting industry in Northern Cyprus, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Girne (Kyrinea) Feb 2022. Falyalı had long been a controversial figure in Northern Cyprus, with a history of legal troubles including charges of assault, robbery, and false imprisonment.

In 2021, exiled Turkish mob boss Sedat Peker accused him of being a central player in an international cocaine trafficking network stretching from Colombia to Turkey, as well as an "illegal betting baron."

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Falyalı had also been investigated by US authorities and faced legal action on suspicion of drug trafficking.

Less than a year after Peker's allegations, Falyalı was assassinated by a team of gunmen in Feb 2022 near his house in Girne (Kyrinea), who opened fire on his car with automatic rifles.

At that time, Mustafa Akıncı, former president of Norhtern Cyprus, had claimed that Falyalı was "protected" by his allied politicians in the ruling National Unity Party (UBP).

"Everyone knows that he supports UBP with all his financial means in elections at all levels. It is also known that there are allegations that Halil Falyalı has connections with various dirty and illegal relations," Akıncı had said. (VK)