Cemil Önal, a former top financial operator for slain gambling kingpin Halil Falyalı and a key informant in an unfolding corruption scandal implicating senior Turkish officials, was shot dead Thursday evening at a hotel terrace in the Dutch city of Rijswijk. Dutch police have launched a full-scale investigation into what appears to be a professional assassination, amid growing speculation that his killing is tied to state-level secrets and explosive video evidence.
Önal, 41, was sitting at the terrace of Hotel Hoevevoorde when a lone gunman approached and fired three rounds at close range. He died instantly at the scene. Witnesses described the killer as a tall, bearded man dressed in black who fled on foot. The Hague police have appealed for witnesses but have yet to make an arrest.
From Accountant to Key Witness
Born in Diyarbakır in 1984, Cemil Önal was long known as the financial brain behind Halil Falyalı’s vast illegal betting network, which allegedly funneled tens of millions of dollars monthly through offshore companies and crypto transactions. Following Falyalı’s assassination in 2022, Önal was named as a suspect and fled abroad.
In December 2023, he was arrested in the Netherlands on an Interpol Red Notice issued by Turkey but avoided extradition. He later cooperated with both Dutch and U.S. intelligence agencies, providing a detailed 120-page statement believed to expose the inner workings of Falyalı’s empire—and its alleged connections to powerful political figures.
Despite ongoing legal proceedings, Önal was released and began making public allegations through media interviews. His claims soon placed him at the center of a widening scandal now dubbed “the missing tapes affair.”
The “Missing Tapes” and Deep State Links
Önal gained widespread attention for his testimony in a controversial investigative series by Cypriot journalist Ayşemden Akın, titled “Halil Falyalı Lives On.” The series, published in Bugün Kıbrıs, revealed Önal’s claims that the Turkish intelligence agency (MİT) was actively pursuing a set of 45 video recordings allegedly held by Falyalı, documenting compromising footage of prominent Turkish officials.
According to Önal, only 40 of the tapes were ever recovered. The remaining five are said to have been kept by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yasin Ekrem Serim, who reportedly became involved in the affair through his family connections with Falyalı. Önal claimed these videos contained material implicating the sons of former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and MİT chief Hakan Fidan.
Önal also alleged that Serim was specifically dispatched to Cyprus by Turkish authorities, including Fidan, to retrieve the tapes and curry favor within the state apparatus. Some meetings were reportedly conducted at private residences with the knowledge and support of Özge Falyalı, the late crime boss’s widow.
CHP leader Özgür Özel recently referenced this scandal in parliament, citing President Erdoğan’s veiled remarks about a “bigger radish yet to be revealed”—a metaphor for suppressed scandals—and calling attention to the Cyprus connection.
Was He Really Protected?
Turkey’s opposition circles have long claimed that the information Önal provided to U.S. and Dutch intelligence was of such strategic importance that he was under protection by Western agencies. They argued that Önal had become a crucial asset—too valuable to be harmed.
But his brazen killing in broad daylight tells a different story. The fact that he was gunned down so easily, on a public hotel terrace, suggests that no meaningful protection was in place—or that those offering it turned a blind eye. His assassination has fueled doubts about the seriousness with which Dutch or U.S. authorities treated his safety, despite the alleged highly sensitive intelligence he is believed to have shared.
It is also notable that the hotel where Önal was killed was operated by a businessman of Turkish origin, and the city itself is governed by a mayor of Turkish descent. If Önal was indeed under the protection of Dutch security agencies, why was he placed in such a conspicuous and vulnerable location? And if he was not under their protection, why would he choose to remain in an environment where individuals of Turkish origin—potentially sympathetic to Ankara—could easily alert Turkish authorities to his whereabouts?
International Fallout and Political Implications
The assassination has sent shockwaves through political and intelligence communities across Europe and Turkey. With his death, Önal takes with him critical knowledge of financial transfers, political protection networks, and what he claimed were damning recordings.
Turkish authorities have remained silent on the case. In contrast, Dutch police confirmed the killing but have not disclosed whether they are treating it as an international political assassination.
Analysts suggest Önal may have become a liability to powerful figures he once served—and later betrayed. “This was not a random crime,” said an unnamed Dutch law enforcement source quoted by De Telegraaf. “We’re exploring links to organized crime and international intelligence agencies.”
Meanwhile, Önal’s prior interviews and court statements may remain key pieces of evidence. Human rights organizations are now calling on the Netherlands to ensure transparency in the investigation and for international observers to monitor developments closely.
A Dangerous Truth-Teller?
In his final months, Cemil Önal transitioned from accountant to whistleblower, alleging systemic corruption and deep-state manipulation at the highest levels of Turkish power. Whether his killing was a silencing operation, an act of underworld revenge, or a message to others remains unclear—but the political aftershocks of his death have only just begun.
By: News About Turkey (NAT)
