Man sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison for stealing from passengers luggage at Ercan Airport in north Cyprus

A man who had been facing trial on accusations of stealing valuable items from passengers' suitcases, at Ercan Airport in north Cyprus in 2023 was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison for two separate offenses.

The case against the defendant, Halil Yalçınkaya, a Turkish Cypriot was concluded and announced at the Lefkoşa District Court on Tuesday February 4, 2025.

Delivering the judgement, the judge stated that the defendant committed the crimes together with another suspect named Serdar Atıcı.

It was highlighted that in October 2023, on two separate days, Yalçınkaya took advantage of the absence of cameras and stole phones, watches, and jewelry from two different suitcases.

The judge revealed that the stolen items were worth 811,000 TL, out of which items worth 591,000 TL were recovered, while the remaining valuables were not found, leaving victims still suffering losses.

Additionally, the judge stated that Yalçınkaya's accomplice, Serdar Atıcı, committed similar crimes between August and November 2023, stealing jewelry and valuables worth 2,817,000 TL. Since Atıcı stole more and over a longer period, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison, leading to a distinction in sentencing between the two defendants.

The judge emphasized that stealing transit passengers’ belongings undermines travelers' trust and negatively impacts tourism and the economy, which were considered against the defendant in the ruling.

The fact that many stolen items were not recovered and victims remained affected was also taken into account against the defendant.

However, the court considered Yalçınkaya's lack of prior convictions and his apology during the trial as mitigating factors.

Ultimately, the judge found him guilty on two counts and sentenced him to 2 years and 4 months in prison.