The Turkish Cypriot police on Thursday night confirmed the arrest of a man who had been seen running naked through the streets of the northern Nicosia suburb of Mandres.

Videos of the man’s exploits were widely publicised on social media on Thursday, and the police confirmed they had taken action after the being made aware of the videos, and the man was identified as a 21-year-old who had moved to the north to study.

The man appeared in court on Friday and was visibly emotionally distressed upon entry, having to be reassured and calmed down by the police.

Police officer Nevzat Gun spoke in court, explaining that the man had been “arrested for the crime of acting against honour and morality”.

He said the man had been seen running through Mandres naked at around 11.30am on Thursday, and that the police had identified and arrested him in the evening.

The man also spoke in court, saying he had come to Cyprus to study but that no one respected him.

He added that his father had faced “great financial difficulties” to send him to university, due to the high rent costs in the north, and that his current landlord “constantly causes problems and shouts” at him.

To this end, he said, “I became a slave with my own money”, and said the incident of running through Mandres naked had been preceded by an argument with his landlord.

“We are barely studying here but we are not respected! There is no peace in Cyprus!” he said.

Judge Nuray Necdet ordered that the man be held in custody for a period not exceeding 20 days pending a trial, and that he undergo a full psychological examination at the Baris psychiatric hospital in northern Nicosia.