Trikomo, Cyprus. Property developer Ahmet Noyan appeared in court in Trikomo on Wednesday after being arrested on suspicion of negligence following a fire at a building constructed by his company at the weekend. Two other directors of the Noyanlar group were also arrested, charged and released.
Fire at Riverside Life Residence
The arrests followed a fire on Sunday evening at Riverside Life Residence, a complex in Trikomo’s Long Beach area with more than 800 holiday apartments across five tower blocks.
A total of 50 people were evacuated from the building, and no serious injuries were recorded.
Court appearance and arrests
Noyan, 52, was arrested on Tuesday alongside the two other directors of the Noyanlar group, which describes itself as “a market leader in Cyprus’ construction industry”.
The three appeared in court in Trikomo on Wednesday and were charged and released the same day.
Noyanlar group operations
The Noyanlar group reportedly employs more than 1,500 people and is one of the major names in construction in the north, particularly in the Trikomo area.
Riverside Life Residence is one of 28 construction projects undertaken by the group.
Previous reports involving Noyan
Noyan was called as a prosecution witness in one of the cases brought against five Greek Cypriots arrested in the north in July last year. The five had faced charges of trespassing, breaching the peace and privacy violations following a day trip to the area.
All five Greek Cypriots were released in December last year.
It was also reported in April last year that Noyan had been refused entry to the United Arab Emirates over alleged construction of buildings on land belonging to Greek Cypriots in the north.
Those reports stated that he was on a list of people banned from entering the UAE, though this was never confirmed.
