A Turkish fugitive accused of rape, sexual assault and kidnapping, among others, has been arrested in Isipingo, KwaZulu-Natal, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said.
In a statement on Saturday, the SAPS said INTERPOL South Africa’s Fugitive Investigation Team arrested the 40-year-old following a coordinated operation on Thursday.
“The fugitive is wanted by Turkish authorities to stand trial on charges of rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, malicious damage to property and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), which were reported to the Eskişehir Police Department in Türkiye,” the SAPS said.
The police further explained that information received from Turkish authorities indicated that the suspect allegedly kidnapped his then-fiancée in 2010 and raped her over several days. He also allegedly assaulted the victim by repeatedly striking her head against a wall, resulting in permanent physical and psychological impairment. The victim was 22 years old at the time of the alleged offences.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, the suspect allegedly fled Türkiye, his country of origin and was subsequently traced to Isipingo.
“Upon receipt of the extradition request from Turkish authorities, INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Pretoria obtained and executed a warrant in terms of Section 5(1)(b) of the relevant legislation, resulting in the fugitive’s arrest.”
The fugitive appeared before the Umlazi Magistrates’ Court on Friday, facing an extradition application by the government of the Republic of Türkiye to the Republic of South Africa.
“The South African Police Service continues to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation through INTERPOL structures, enabling the tracing and arrest of wanted persons who seek to evade justice by fleeing across international borders,” said the police.
The arrest follows another successful operation by INTERPOL South Africa last month, in which a Turkish fugitive, a former primary school principal, was arrested in Cape Town in connection with charges of sexual assault, kidnapping and intimidation involving a nine-year-old victim.
The former principal was arrested on Monday, 21 September 2026, and has since appeared before the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court. -SAnews.gov.za
