A Turkish national wanted in Turkey for at least nine criminal offences — who allegedly posed online as a metaphysical healer to defraud victims — was arrested in Larnaca on 7 April after apparently crossing into the Republic illegally from the occupied north through an unmonitored point, philenews has learned.
Hakan Erkan, 36, is in custody and deportation proceedings are under way, Cyprus Police confirmed to philenews following the story’s publication by Greek news site Proto Thema. Because Turkey does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, he is expected to be deported via another EU country, most likely Greece.
Police had not publicly announced the arrest. When philenews sought comment, officers confirmed that a person of that name had been detained in the Larnaca area on 7 April for illegal stay in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkish-Cypriot press reports dating back to February had suggested Erkan may have fled to the occupied north. He is wanted in Turkey on at least nine counts including fraud, threats and insults, and had previously served prison sentences for fraud-related offences, according to those reports.
Erkan allegedly exploited victims’ religious beliefs by advertising “metaphysical help” and “solutions to personal problems” on social media platforms including Instagram, under a page called “Hakan Erkan Official.” Clicking the ads directed users straight to a WhatsApp chat, where people presenting themselves as specialists would make promises including spell-breaking, energy healing and reconnecting estranged partners — before requesting money.
The case of Nazmiye D., a 66-year-old woman from Istanbul, illustrates the alleged method. According to Turkish newspaper Sabah, which reported her case in March, she came across the Instagram advertisement while browsing and, out of curiosity, followed the link.
She was connected directly to a WhatsApp line where, after a brief exchange, the suspects asked for money in return for their services. She transferred a total of 63,500 Turkish lira (€1,225) from her bank account to theirs. Two weeks later, unable to reach anyone, she realised she had been defrauded and reported the matter to Turkish police.
Other victims, according to Turkish press reports, paid tens of thousands of Turkish lira and were subsequently asked for more money, without receiving the promised results. The offences attributed to Erkan are reported to have been committed in 2025 and 2026.
Erkan has claimed in Turkish media to have been born in the Fatih district of Istanbul and to have grown up in a family shaped by “the path of knowledge and wisdom,” with a father who taught at the Fatih madrassa and trained hundreds of students in the Quran and the so-called science of spiritual powers.