Ayşemden Akın's police protection removed

The police protection of journalist Ayşemden Akın, who writes about mafia, bribery, and state-linked corruption in Cyprus, has been removed.

Following the execution of Cemil Önal, an accounting manager who was a witness to significant allegations regarding Halil Falyalı, a police vehicle had been waiting in front of Akın's house every morning. However, as of yesterday, this protection was also withdrawn. Akın stated that they had contacted the police and the response they received was, "A vehicle will no longer wait in the mornings; only patrols will be increased."

The journalist announced the step back on her social media account. Emphasizing that the police had previously said, "Let us know when you leave the house, and we will escort you to where you are going," but that this has now also been canceled, Akın stated that the new procedure is, "Tell us where you are going, and we will send a patrol there."

Expressing her concerns following the removal of the protection, Akın asked, "What does this mean? Do you want to make me a target? Is this step back by the police the work of Falyalı's men on the inside, or is this the collapse of a state that cannot protect its citizens?"

Akın, who has faced threats following the execution of Cemil Önal, stated that the withdrawal of protection measures is a serious security vulnerability. 

INFORMATION
Cemil Önal, a witness to the allegations in the 'Halil Falyalı is Alive' article series, has been executed. Since that day, a police vehicle had been waiting in front of our house for half an hour every morning. At least we felt a little safe while taking our child to school.
Today, even that protection…

— Ayşemden Akın (@Aysemden) May 7, 2025

News Source: 12punto