Turkish turf war seen behind deadly Piraeus shootout
The two victims of an armed attack in Piraeus on Friday were members of the Turkish criminal Baygaralar gang based in Adana, according to police authorities.
One of them, 42-year-old Mehmet Baykurt, died after being shot in the neck. The other, 23-year-old Samet Ozturk, received four bullet wounds to his chest and is fighting for his life in hospital. They fled to Greece pursued by members of rival gangs and Turkish authorities. The perpetrator of the attack in Piraeus is described as unknown to both the Greek and Turkish security authorities.
Ozturk’s brother was killed a month ago in Berlin, while on October 23, 2023, Turkish police arrested 55 Baygaralar members in the context of an operation code-named “Cell.” Those who managed to escape (the operation was carried out simultaneously in Adana and five other Turkish provinces) fled to Greece and other European countries, spreading the war between Turkish mafia groups.
