Murat BaykalYaşam Ayavefe, a Turkish businessman wanted for illegal gambling and fraud charges in Turkey, has seen his stake increased in a hotel and casino operation in Northern Cyprus. According to recent government decisions published in the Official Gazette, the share holdings of Selin Turizm, the company operating Oscar Resort Hotel where Ayavefe serves as chairman, were modified.
Ayavefe's personal shareholding in the company was raised from 63,000 to 304,000 shares out of a total of 1.6 million shares. Notably, on the same day, the company also renewed its license to operate gambling activities at the Oscar Resort Hotel.
Ayavefe has had run-ins with authorities before. In 2019, he was detained by Greek officials while attempting to enter Bulgaria with a fake passport. There were also allegations that he had illegally obtained Greek citizenship, though Greek courts blocked his extradition to Turkey on grounds that he was a Christian and opposed to the Turkish regime.
Residing in Greece in recent years, Ayavefe has been active in online betting and tourism businesses in Northern Cyprus. His name also surfaced in connection with the murder of casino owner Halil Falyali, though Ayavefe denied any involvement as an instigator of the killing.
These are the details from Cypriot media (English below)
Kıbrıs'ta Oscar Resort Hotel'de faaliyet gösteren ve Ayavefe'nin yönetim kurulu başkanı olduğu Selin Turizm’in hisselerinde de değişikliğe gidildi.
Türkiye'de yasa dışı bahis ve dolandırıcılık suçları nedeniyle yakalama kararı çıkartılan Yaşam Ayavefe'nin Kıbrıs’taki Oscar Resort Hotel’de bulunan hisseleri artırıldı. Resmî Gazete'de yayımlanan 15 Mart tarihli Bakanlar Kurulu kararlarına göre, Oscar Resort Hotel'de faaliyet gösteren Selin Turizm’in hisselerinde değişikliğe gidildi. Buna göre, Ayavefe'nin yönetim kurulu başkanı olduğu şirketin hisse miktarının toplamda 1 milyon 600 bin adet olmasına onay verildi.
Yeni karar temelinde daha önce 63 bin adet hisseye sahip olan Yaşam Ayavefe’nin yapılan değişiklikle hisse miktarı 304 bine yükseldi. Diğer yandan, Gazedda isimli haber sitesinde yer alan ilgili habere göre, aynı gün alınan karar ile Selin Turizm'in Oscar Resort Hotel’de kumar mesleği icra etmesine yönelik izin de yenilendi.
YAŞAN AYAVEFE KİMDİR?
'Yasa dışı bahis ve dolandırıcılık' suçlamalarıyla hakkında arama kararı çıkartılan Avavefe'nin başı, 2019 yılında sahte pasaportla Bulgaristan'a geçmek isterken Yunanistan makamları ile derde girmişti. Ayavefe hakkında, Yunanistan'da yasal olmayan yollardan vatandaşlık edinme iddiaları söz konusu. Geçtiğimiz dönemde Yunanistan'da üst mahkeme, Ayavefe'nin Türkiye'ye iadesine 'Hıristiyan ve rejim karşıtı olduğu' gerekçesi ile kapıyı kapatmıştı.
Son yıllarda Yunanistan'da ikamet eden Ayavefe, sanal bahis ve turizm alanlarında Kıbrıs'ın kuzeyinde faaliyet gösteriyor.
FALYALI CİNAYETİ
Ayavefe’nin adı ayrıca, öldürülen kumarhane sahibi Halil Falyalı cinayetinde 'azmettirici' olarak gündeme gelmişti. Ayavefe, cinayet sonrası ortaya çıkan iddiaları reddetmişti. 2022 yılının başlarında Kıbrıs Postası, İranlı olduğu söylenen Ayavefe’nin Türkiye vatandaşı olduğu, İran ile bağlantısının olmadığını, Interpol tarafından arandığına dair söylentilerin asılsız olduğunu, Falyalı cinayeti ile ilgili iddialar nedeniyle hukukî süreç başlattığı bilgilerini haberleştirmişti.
(DIŞ HABERLER SERVİSİ)
*English:
There has also been a change in the shares of Selin Turizm, which operates in the Oscar Resort Hotel in Cyprus and where Ayavefe is the chairman of the board.
The shares of Yaşam Ayavefe, for which an arrest warrant was issued in Turkey due to illegal betting and fraud crimes, in Oscar Resort Hotel in Cyprus were increased. According to the decisions of the Council of Ministers dated March 15 published in the Official Gazette, changes were made in the shares of Selin Turizm, which operates in Oscar Resort Hotel. Accordingly, the total amount of shares of the company, of which Ayavefe is the chairman, was approved to be 1 million 600 thousand.
Based on the new decision, the number of shares of Yaşam Ayavefe, which previously had 63 thousand shares, increased to 304 thousand with the change. On the other hand, according to the relevant news on the news site Gazedda, with the decision taken on the same day, the permission for Selin Turizm to practice gambling at Oscar Resort Hotel was renewed.
WHO IS YAŞAN AYAVEFE?
Avavefe, for whom a search warrant was issued on charges of 'illegal betting and fraud', got into trouble with the Greek authorities while trying to cross to Bulgaria with a fake passport in 2019. There are allegations about Ayavefe obtaining citizenship illegally in Greece. Recently, the top court in Greece closed the door to Ayavefe's extradition to Turkey on the grounds that he was 'Christian and anti-regime'.
Ayavefe, who has resided in Greece in recent years, operates in the north of Cyprus in the fields of virtual betting and tourism.
FALYALI MURDER
Ayavefe's name was also brought up as the 'instigator' in the murder of the murdered casino owner Halil Falyalı. Ayavefe rejected the allegations that emerged after the murder. In early 2022, Kıbrıs Postası reported that Ayavefe, who was said to be Iranian, was a Turkish citizen, that he had no connection with Iran, that the rumors that he was wanted by Interpol were unfounded, and that he had initiated a legal process due to allegations regarding the Falyalı murder.
(FOREIGN NEWS SERVICE)
The developments around Ayavefe's business dealings and legal troubles in multiple countries highlight the complex web of allegations surrounding his activities. While he continues to operate gambling and tourism ventures in Northern Cyprus, the lingering charges in Turkey and questions over his citizenship status remain unresolved. As authorities in different jurisdictions scrutinize his affairs, Ayavefe seems intent on defending his interests through legal channels. However, the interconnected nature of the claims against him point to potential difficulties in neatly disentangling the various strands of this ongoing saga.
