Yesterday, I had an experience that reaffirmed the safety and warmth of life in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Contrary to the negative portrayal often spread by Greek Cypriots, I found Northern Cyprus to be a place of incredible kindness, efficiency, and security.

With my father admitted to a care rehabilitation facility in TRNC, I found myself visiting Cyprus more frequently. To ease these visits, a friend generously lent me his apartment in Gönyeli, a suburb of Lefkoşa. One particularly sweltering day, after working on my laptop at a local internet café, I decided to venture out to buy newspapers and a cool drink for my dad, and then head to his care facility about 4 kilometers away.

Carrying my rucksack, which contained my laptop and essential belongings, I braved the 41°C heat. Outside the shop, I noticed a black car with red number plates, indicating tourists or students. I asked the driver, a Sudanese student named Khaled, if he could give me a ride to spare me from the intense heat. Khaled kindly agreed, and I gratefully accepted, enjoying the cool air conditioning in his car. We chatted, and I learned that Khaled was studying mechanical engineering at a nearby university.

After dropping off his relative, Khaled drove me to my dad's rehab facility. Exhausted, I thanked him and went inside. It wasn't long before I realized, with a surge of panic, that I had left my rucksack—with my laptop, door keys, and phone charger cables—inside Khaled's car. The urgency of the situation hit me hard, especially with the Bayram (Eid) holidays approaching, holidays starting, no keys to get back into my house.

Determined to retrieve my belongings, as an ex UK police officer myself, my brain went into 'investigate' mode, I quickly walked back to the shop where I had met Khaled, in hope of finding any CCTV footage that might show his car's number plate. The shop's cashier informed me that only the owner, Mr. Hüseyin of Ballı Market, had access to the CCTV. Despite the late hour, Mr. Hüseyin kindly returned to the store to help, but we couldn't locate Khaled's car on the footage.

Feeling desperate, I called my cousin, Oktay Öksüzoğlu, a prominently well known and respected figure within the TRNC who advised me to immidiately contact the police. Within minutes of dialing 155, I was connected to an English-speaking officer. To my amazement, the police responded swiftly, arriving at the shop shortly thereafter. They reassured me, explaining that lost valuables in TRNC are often returned to their owners or the police, and not to stress too much.

The officers, impeccably dressed and professional, assisted me in reviewing CCTV footage from nearby buildings. Meanwhile, the police station began investigating local car rental firms near the bus terminal in Lefkoşa. As we drove around, trying to recall where Khaled had dropped off his relative, knocking on doors, enquiring with various people, we all of a sudden received a lead about Sudanese students living in a nearby building.

Knocking on the door, we were greeted by a group of Sudanese women. One of them, to my huge relief, was the relative of Khaled whom he had dropped off earlier, she recognized me and immediately contacted Khaled, who was at this stage unaware that my bag was still in his car. Khaled agreed to meet us at the market and, to my immense relief, returned my rucksack with all its contents intact.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, I asked the officers if I could take their photo for this article you're reading now. Due to security policy, this wasn't possible, but after approvals from their commanding officers, they agreed to let me buy them a meal as a token of thanks. Reflecting on the situation, as an ex police officer myself, I realized how unlikely it would have been to recover my laptop so swiftly and efficiently in London, where crime rates are significantly higher and police response times are often longer. The entire culture of returning valuables in my opinion simply doesn't exist in London, yet clearly very common in TRNC.

This experience demonstrated to me that crime in TRNC, even though does exist, it  is almost non-existent in comparison to London, in-fact TRNC is more comparable to safe places like Dubai. Contrary to the negative propaganda spread by Greek Cypriots, The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is actually a secure and welcoming place. I expressed my gratitude to the Gönyeli regional Commander, Mr. Fahri, who appreciated my kind words. I'm planning to visit them in person after Bayram to thank them again personally.

Inspired by this positive experience, I now hope, subject to approvals, to organize an exchange visit between the Metropolitan Police Turkish Police Association (TPA) and the TRNC Police in Gönyeli. Such an initiative could help showcase the safety and hospitality of TRNC to the world, countering the false Greek narratives and highlighting the reality of life in Northern Cyprus.

In conclusion, my heartfelt thanks go to the Gönyeli Police for their exceptional work in locating my laptop. Their dedication and professionalism are a testament to the safety and security of the TRNC, a place where kindness and efficiency prevail.