Killed in an armed attack in the Netherlands... Phone traffic between Cemil Önal and the perpetrators of the Falyalı assassination revealed

Cemil Önal, who claimed to be the former finance manager of illegal betting baron Halil Falyalı, who was killed in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on February 8, 2022, has lost his life as a result of an armed attack in the Netherlands.

The execution took place on May 1, 2025, at the Hoevevoorde Hotel in the city of The Hague. Önal was targeted by an unidentified assailant while sitting in the hotel's restaurant.

HAD COME TO THE AGENDA WITH TAPE AND TESTIMONY ALLEGATIONS

In an interview he gave last month to TRNC journalist Ayşemden Akın, Cemil Önal spoke about certain secret recordings allegedly belonging to Halil Falyalı, and these statements caused a great stir in the public eye.

Furthermore, it was alleged that Önal had provided a total of 120 pages of testimony to Dutch and US intelligence services and was released in exchange for certain agreements.

INVESTIGATION CALL FROM CHP LEADER ÖZEL

Following Cemil Önal's allegations, Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel had taken action, emphasizing that Önal's statements must be investigated, stating, "We are looking for a prosecutor who will risk everything."

WAS AMONG THE FUGITIVE DEFENDANTS IN THE FALYALI CASE

Cemil Önal was one of the defendants tried at the Istanbul 36th High Criminal Court regarding the assassination in which Halil Falyalı and his driver Murat Demirtaş were killed. Önal, who was tried on charges of premeditated murder twice, had been a fugitive for a long time.

A red notice was issued for Önal, who was captured on December 7, 2023, and his extradition to Turkey was requested. However, this request was not fulfilled by the Netherlands.

COMMUNICATED 69 TIMES

As the details of the murder emerged, Cemil Önal's connections to the event began to clarify. When a person assigned by the Ministry of Interior in the TRNC examined the flight records prior to the murder, they identified the name of Mustafa Söylemez.

Research conducted based on this information determined that Mustafa Söylemez and Ömer Tunç had planned the murder. It was established that Cemil Önal had met with these individuals multiple times. According to the report by Can Bursalı from Halk TV, Önal communicated with Tunç 69 times in total between November 12, 2021, and January 25, 2022, and with Söylemez between November 30, 2021, and January 13, 2022.

“IT WAS A STRAIGHT-UP EXECUTION”

Speaking to the Dutch press after the armed attack at the hotel, the hotel manager said, "I watched the security camera footage. While the customer was sitting at the table, a man with his face uncovered approached, fired directly, and fled."

A woman who witnessed the event described what happened with the words, "This was a straight-up execution."

DUTCH POLICE LAUNCHED A LARGE-SCALE OPERATION

Police teams launched a large-scale operation at the hotel where the incident occurred and in the surrounding restaurants and parking areas. However, no official statement has been made yet regarding the identity of the assailant.

In a brief statement, a police spokesperson said, "The victim lost his life at the scene. There are no detentions at this moment. The investigation is continuing in multiple directions."