Last Updated on: 27th May 2023, 08:29 pm
Who is Recep Akbiyik? Biography, Wiki
According to police, Recep Akbiyik has been arrested in the United States on suspicion of storming the Turkish diplomatic offices in New York with a crowbar and breaking their windows.
The arrest on Friday was condemned by US and Turkish authorities. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan branded the perpetrator a “terrorist” and earlier this week called on US authorities to arrest him.
Recep Akbiyik Age
His current age is 29 years.
Recep Akbiyik Arrested in NY
In an email to Al Jazeera, New York City police identified 29-year-old Recep Akbiyik as a suspect. According to a police spokesman, he is charged with threats, criminal coercion, terrorist threats, criminal possession of weapons, and attempted robbery.
According to Turkish media, Akbiyik is a Turkish citizen who fled Turkey a year ago. His true motives remain obscure.
A video released by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu News Agency on Monday morning shows a man in a helmet and black suit smashing the building’s window.
The Turkish House is a skyscraper in Manhattan near the United Nations Headquarters. There is a Turkish representation at the United Nations as well as a Turkish consulate.
Turkish House Attack Suspect
The incident happened about a week before Erdogan and opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu met in the second round of Turkey’s presidential elections.
Turkish ex-pats in New York voted in the Turkish Chamber this week. Elections will take place in Türkiye on Sunday. Erdogan won the first round of elections earlier this month but lacked the majority needed to announce an outright victory.
Although the US and Turkey are members of NATO, tensions between the two countries have increased in recent years over Washington’s support for Kurdish terrorists in Syria.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Turkey helped negotiate a deal for the continued sale of Ukrainian grain, and US officials have consistently stressed the importance of their partnership with Turkey.
