Teerarak Suthathiwong
An argument between two Turkish former business partners turned bloody when
one allegedly stabbed the other to settle the quarrel over an ice cream
freezer.
Police
arrested Semih Bele on assault charges after he stabbed his friend.
Cihan Cakmak, 31, suffered serious stab wounds to the neck and chest in the
March 25 incident at a Turkish ice cream shop near the intersection of
Second and South roads.
Semih Bele, 26, was taken away to face charges, but not before Cakmak tried
to rush him in retaliation for the attack, sending Bele running for cover
and police in pursuit. Cakmak was then taken to Pattaya Memorial Hospital
for treatment.
The two men gave different accounts of how the argument began, with the
suspect saying that he and Bele used to be close friends and partners in the
ice cream parlor. However, he had left to open a similar shop at the
Krathinglai elephant camp and, in doing so, was accused by Cakmak of
stealing an ice cream freezer.
Cakmak set up a meeting between the two men, with two Turks present as
witnesses. The talks began with friendly beers, but rapidly devolved into
shouting, fisticuffs and, finally, Bele pulling a knife in self-defense.
The victim said the argument was over 50,000 baht he had given Bele to help
secure a visa extension, as his former friend claimed to have a source at
the Immigration Department that would speed through the renewal. However,
the visa never came through and the money was not returned.
Despite the different accounts, police booked Bele on assault charges.
