Missing Turkish Cypriot man found in Paphos forest
A 60-year-old Turkish Cypriot man, Akkan Coșkun, has been found safe after a large-scale search operation in the Cedar Valley area of the Paphos forest. Coșkun went missing on Thursday, November 12, 2026, while foraging for mushrooms with two companions. When the group became separated in the rugged Konizi area, his friends alerted the authorities around 2:00 PM local time.
A multi-agency rescue effort was immediately launched, involving the police, the Department of Forests, the Game and Fauna Service, Civil Defence, and volunteer groups such as the Blue Heart Foundation. The search was significantly complicated by the dense vegetation and the difficult, steep terrain known as the "Black Cliffs" or "Mavri Gkremoi." Teams deployed drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras, sniffer dogs, and helicopters to navigate the challenging landscape throughout the night and into Friday.
Coșkun was located in a ravine shortly after 3:00 PM on Friday, November 13, by personnel from the Department of Forests. Although initial reports described him as in good health, a rescue operation was initiated via helicopter to transport him to a hospital for precautionary medical evaluation. The authorities have concluded the search following his successful rescue.