A distraught British mother has issued a heartfelt plea for assistance after her allegedly abusive former partner abducted their two-year-old son in Cyprus. Local authorities are actively searching for Ozer Ocakoglu, 29, who fled to the Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus with the toddler after taking him from Chloe Martin, 35, on Wednesday morning.
Despite Ms Martin raising the alarm immediately after Ocakoglu, a Turkish national, took the boy from her residence in Mandria, Limassol, he managed to cross the green line dividing the island. Detectives suspect he may have traversed through an uncontrolled area of Dhekelia Cantonment, a UK military base and British Overseas Territory where Cypriot police lack jurisdiction.
Following the abduction, Ocakoglu posted a video of himself with the child on social media, accompanied by the message: 'My lion, your father would give his life for you, my child. If there is anyone brave enough to take you from me, let him come and we will see.' Cypriot police have confirmed the issuance of an arrest warrant for Ocakoglu on charges of child kidnapping. He was already wanted for domestic violence following a complaint filed last October.
Ms Martin, too distressed to speak at length, told the Mail: 'My main concern is to get my child back. Both me and my son are British citizens. We expect the full support of the UK government towards its citizens, something we have yet to see.' Ms Martin, who grew up in the West Midlands, met Ocakoglu online in 2022 and moved to Northern Cyprus to be with him, where she became pregnant. She alleges he was abusive, prompting her to flee to the Republic last October and file a complaint against him.
Ocakoglu reportedly arrived at her home in Mandria unannounced, pushed her into a swimming pool, seized the baby, and escaped with an accomplice. Their abandoned rental car was discovered in Pergamos, a village within the UK Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia, near the green line. There is no fence between Northern Cyprus, and he appears not to have used an official crossing point.
Ms Martin, who relocated to Cyprus as a teenager with her family, has received hospital treatment for injuries to her head and ankle and shared an image displaying wounds on her face. Meanwhile, a 53-year-old individual suspected of aiding Ocakoglu's escape was arrested late on Wednesday.
Limassol Deputy Police Director, Lefteris Kyriakou, stated: 'It appears that he entered from an uncontrolled point, and apparently from a point that is not controlled by the Republic, possibly from the British Bases. Not from an official crossing point, from a point that is not a checkpoint nor something that is controlled by us or by the British Bases.'
Last night, Ocakoglu posted further footage online of himself with the child, writing: 'He misses his dad so much. I will protect you until the end of my life, my son. No one can come and take you from me.' He signed off as 'the boss of the family,' describing his son as 'his dad's lookalike.'
Parental child abduction to Northern Cyprus is a significant issue on the Mediterranean island, as the self-declared state, recognized only by Turkey, is not a signatory to the Hague Convention. The UK Foreign Office has previously warned about this issue, noting that the authority does not recognize dual British nationality, leaving little recourse to help bring abducted children back.
Ioannis Michalaki, representing Ms Martin, told the Mail: 'We trust the Republic of Cyprus, which from the very first moment, with full cooperation with us, took all the necessary steps. At the same time, we expect the support of the Turkish Cypriots, which is expressed on social media, to translate into action from the Turkish Cypriot administration and move to take all necessary steps for the immediate return of the two-year-old child to his mother.' The Daily Mail has contacted the UK's Foreign Office for comment.
