A Turkish stalker obsessed with a British woman he met seven years ago has been deported – after sailing 2,500 miles to the UK to find her.
Ramazan Noyan Culum, 38, met attractive blonde Courtney Murray while she was working in a restaurant in Cyprus in 2005.
She only served him once but Culum, who was on a scuba diving holiday, then stole her phone number from the restaurant’s wall and began harassing her.
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Her friends claimed he showed up at her work several times – once wielding a knife – and was eventually arrested and deported from Cyprus.
Courtney was apparently so terrified she gave up her new life abroad and returned to her home, thought to be Liverpool, and later got married.
But Culum continued to try and find her and in 2011 spotted her on Facebook and began a blog called ”Hunger Strike For Courtney Murray”.
He then spent seven months sailing 2,500 miles around European waters in a tiny yacht – writing ”Courtney i come. I’m still on the water. Pray for me”.
Culum also wrote: ”I love you too much. The world is not beautiful without you. I don’t want to continue to live without you. Will you marry me?”
He eventually sailed into the English Channel and was detained by customs officials off the coast of Plymouth, Devon.
Culum, was once a successful businessman, was taken to a deportation centre and is being sent back to Turkey.
During his sailing trip he constantly updated his blog – where Courtney’s friends and family posted comments calling him a “fruitcake stalker”.
One post in April, from her aunt Florence, said: “Courtney is my niece she has never and never will have a relationship with you.
“If you ever make it to the UK and make contact with Courtney the police will be informed immediately.
“Courtney is married and happy all you are doing is making yourself a fool and upsetting Courtney and her family.
“This is to your family and friends who are supposed to love and support you: GET HIM HELP!
”He sounds like he is totally off his head and a danger to himself and to Courtney.”
Another post, from a friend of Courtney’s, said: “I’m so sick of you upsetting and distressing my pal.
“All you are to her is a fruitcake stalker, it’s as simple as that mate, so either go home or drown. Get it, you ain’t welcome.”
The same friend posted a comment explaining that Culum met Courtney at a restaurant she was working at in Cyprus in 2005.
She says ”all she did was serve you food and drink” before Culum ”stole her phone number from the wall where she worked”.
The friend says he then showed up at work with a knife ”to take her”, followed her and grabbed her until he was arrested and deported to Turkey.
She says Courtney then ”left her family her friends her life that she had only just made”.
It is thought Courtney returned to Britain in 2005 but Culum continued trying to find her and eventually spotted her on Facebook in 2011.
His blog says he is a successful businessman and a former CEO of a mobile phone games firm.
His journey started from Bodrum, near the Turkish city of Kos, on Monday, April 23, this year after three months preparation.
Culum then battled storms and disasters as he crossed the Adriatic, the Mediterranean, and passed through the straights of Gibraltar.
He then sailed along the coast of Spain and travelled up the French west coast until he reached the English Channel.
At one stage, posting bearded pictures of himself, he claimed he was “ready to die” on his way to reach Britain.
His blog charts his infatuation with Courtney who at one stage he appears to directly address in a rage.
He says: “You stupid girl, you didn’t understand even why I come to the UK.
”I will come there, I will kneel down in front of you, I will kiss your hands and I will propose marrying me. You can marry me or you can imprison me. It’s yours to decide.”
Culum, from Istanbul, claims to have been imprisoned, gone on hunger strike, slept rough and “stayed in a mental hospital” prior to his voyage.
And in August his blog posts reveal that his health, both mental and physical, was showing the strain.
He says: “I will have to pass the ocean in a bad season. And bad luck again, I have health problems now because of my waist.
“I hope i will give you a simple gift at the end of this story. What an honor (sic) for a loving man. I am really very happy.
“Courtney you have reason for whatever things you told to me. I am very sorry for everything. In the end, I’m really very happy to meet an angel as you in my life. I love you.”
He added: “The last month was very bad. Storm, storm, storm. I rejected 800-900 litres of water from the mini cabin of my boat, after each wave passed over the boat.
“Everything was wet. The beds, the clothings, the covers, the food, everything was wet. It was also very cold.
“I could not sleep during days because of the hypothermia attacks. I’m ok for now but I still can not sleep. I am still not used back to live in normal conditions.”
In his latest entry, dated Tuesday, November 20, he records how he was detained by the UK Border Agency and was in an immigration removal office “located in Sussex”.
He wrote: ”After seven months on the water, after a last month under highly bad conditions, after a lot of works, after a lot of efforts, I did never dream to immigrate.
“But I was trying to gain the heart of the angel of my life. But i’m now at an immigration center. I’m not happy of course.”
He ends his blog with a message to Courtney: “I love you. Excuse me please.”
Culum will now be deported after being caught in waters off Plymouth while trying to enter the UK.
Peter Jones, of the UK Border Agency in the South West, said in a statement that a 38-year-old Turkish national had been detained.
He said: “This man was attempting to enter the UK without a visa or a valid passport but was stopped and will now be removed to his home country.”
Chris Herdman, from the Border Agency in the South West, confirmed that a 38-year-old Turkish man was taken into custody.
Mr Herdman said: “He was intercepted by the Border Force cutter HMC Valiant late on Friday, November 16, in the seas off Devon.
“The yacht was towed to Turnchapel marina in Plymouth and the man, who was the sole sailor onboard, was arrested and questioned.
“He was found to have no right to enter the UK and has been transferred to immigration detention pending his removal from the country.
“His boat is moored up at a marina in Plymouth, which he is paying for himself.
“It was still afloat and sailing when he was picked up.”
Turks will do anything for UK passport – refer VOMIT Victims of Marriage in Turkey
Sorry but you are wrong.This is a very judgemental comment and do you know anything about Turkey and Turkish people – also where my Turkish husband and İ live in the Mediterranean part of Turkey – UK nationals are iıned up every day at passport, immigration and real estate agencies in orfer to obtain Turkish residency papers and permits to enable them to purchase property and build houses – in order to enjoy the wonderful hospitality, friendship of Turkish people and their climate. Indeed, we have our fair share of uneducated, dirty and non-stop drunken British tourists who “invade” our beautiful towns, yachts, beaches and incredible Mediterranean Sea every summer – but fortunately we are open-minded enough to keep them in perspective – and not damage our very close fand warm relationship wıth our many Brıtish friends, sailors and property owners who contribute much to the community and overall way of life of the paradise that we live in Turkey. Hopefully xenophobic people such as yourself will learn a lesson in respect and cross-cultural understanding as a resut of reading this comment – Jane
OMG, hope Turkye will never be in the EU, no doubt that UK will withdraw from this.
Jane are you muslim now ? haha