In recent years, a series of violent killings and public shootings across European cities has drawn attention to a growing and alarming phenomenon: the spread of Turkish organized crime rivalries beyond Turkey’s borders. Once rooted in disputes over drug trafficking and control of diaspora neighborhoods, these conflicts are now playing out in Barcelona, London, Chișinău, Athens, and The Hague, often in broad daylight and with deadly precision.

The assassination of Ilmettin “Tekin Kartal” Aytekin in Barcelona in May 2024, the drive-by shooting at a Hackney café in London that left a child critically injured later the same month, and the murder of Tottenham Turks leader Izzet Eren in Moldova in July 2024 are only a few of the high-profile examples that have placed Turkish gang wars firmly in the European spotlight. These incidents, along with mass killings in Greece and Europol-supported operations in Italy, suggest that what began as local rivalries has evolved into a transnational criminal conflict.

The current escalation cannot be understood without considering the historical roots of Turkish organized crime in Europe. As early as the 1980s and 1990s, the Baybaşin clan, originally from Turkey’s southeast, established a powerful foothold in the European heroin trade, operating through London, Amsterdam, and Antwerp. Over time, other Turkish diaspora groups emerged, often mirroring the rivalries of their home regions. In Germany, the rise of Osmanen Germania, a Turkish biker-style organization later banned in 2018, demonstrated how criminal networks also blended with diaspora politics and nationalist agendas. Together, these earlier groups laid the foundation for today’s Hackney Turks and Tottenham Turks, whose conflicts are now spilling violently into Europe’s public spaces.

At the core of this surge in violence lies a shifting criminal economy. The disruption of the heroin trade following the Taliban’s opium ban in Afghanistan has destabilized long-standing smuggling routes historically dominated by Turkish groups. As supply chains tightened, rival factions moved aggressively into cocaine and methamphetamine markets, intensifying competition over distribution hubs in Europe. The result has been a wave of revenge killings and public assassinations, signaling a new, more dangerous phase of Turkish organized crime activity on European soil.

Drivers of the Conflict

The Heroin Supply Shock

For decades, Turkish groups played a central role in controlling the heroin trade from Afghanistan through the Balkans into Western Europe. This lucrative market not only financed gang structures but also anchored rivalries among diaspora groups in London, Amsterdam, and other cities. The landscape changed dramatically after the Taliban’s 2022 ban on opium cultivation, which led to a sharp decline in global heroin supply. Turkish syndicates, long dominant in this trade, suddenly faced scarcity, rising prices, and fierce competition for remaining stocks. The traditional “balance of power” between rival networks was disrupted, creating conditions for violence.

Diversification into Cocaine and Methamphetamine

With heroin routes destabilized, Turkish networks turned to other illicit markets. Cocaine, sourced via partnerships with Latin American suppliers and trafficked through Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Spain’s Mediterranean ports, became a new priority. At the same time, methamphetamine production and smuggling routes through Iran and Turkey gained importance, offering high profits but also new rivalries. The shift into these competitive, high-value markets has intensified disputes between Turkish factions already struggling for survival after the heroin shock.

Long-Standing Diaspora Rivalries

The conflict also has roots in historical feuds among Turkish diaspora gangs, particularly in London. Two groups stand out: the Hackney Bombacılar (Hackney Turks), linked to the Baybaşin clan, and the Tottenham Turks, associated with figures like Izzet Eren. Their rivalry, stretching back decades, has resurfaced in today’s wave of killings. Diaspora communities, originally formed around migrant neighborhoods, have become strongholds for organized crime groups that combine family ties, regional loyalties, and criminal enterprise.

Globalization of Organized Crime

Finally, the globalization of crime has amplified these conflicts. Turkish gangs are no longer confined to smuggling heroin through the Balkans; they are now active participants in global drug markets, forming alliances with Latin American cartels, Balkan groups, and Middle Eastern networks. As Turkish groups expand into diverse markets, clashes over routes, logistics hubs, and reputation have grown more violent. The decision to carry out assassinations in public European spaces reflects both a new confidence and a willingness to use spectacular violence as a form of control and intimidation.

⚖️ Key Insight: The drivers of Turkish gang wars in Europe are not just personal rivalries but structural shifts in global drug markets, diaspora power struggles, and the globalization of organized crime.

Key Actors and Factions

Understanding today’s wave of violence requires identifying the main factions and networks behind Turkish organized crime in Europe. These groups combine diaspora roots, family ties, and evolving criminal enterprises, and their rivalries now extend across borders.

The Hackney Bombacılar (Hackney Turks)

• Originating in London’s Hackney district, this group is closely tied to the Baybaşin clan, one of the most powerful Turkish crime families operating in Europe since the 1980s.
• The Baybaşins gained dominance in the heroin trade, using the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK as distribution hubs. Their networks also extended into legitimate businesses and political connections, giving them resilience even after high-profile arrests.
• The Hackney Bombacılar are known for their discipline, transnational reach, and use of extreme violence, making them one of the central players in today’s conflict.

The Tottenham Turks

• Based in North London, this faction has been locked in a decades-long rivalry with the Hackney Turks.
• Led by figures such as Izzet Eren, the group has been involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and contract killings.
• Even while serving prison sentences, leaders like Eren maintained influence over their networks, with violence often ordered or coordinated from behind bars. His assassination in Chișinău, Moldova, in July 2024 illustrates both his enduring influence and the risks faced by high-profile gang leaders abroad.

Baybaşin Clan and Heroin Legacy

• The Baybaşin family, originally from southeastern Turkey, is often described as the “founding dynasty” of Turkish organized crime in Europe.
• Hüseyin Baybaşin, once nicknamed “Europe’s Pablo Escobar,” played a central role in building heroin pipelines through Turkey into Europe in the 1980s and 1990s.
• Though some leaders were imprisoned, the clan’s legacy networks remain influential, particularly through connections in London, Amsterdam, and Antwerp, all key drug hubs.

Osmanen Germania (Germany)

• While not directly tied to the Hackney–Tottenham feud, the Osmanen Germania group exemplifies how Turkish diaspora gangs can merge criminal activity with nationalist and political agendas.
• Founded in Germany as a Turkish biker gang, Osmanen Germania expanded rapidly in the mid-2010s, becoming involved in protection rackets, drug trafficking, and political intimidation.
• The group was banned in 2018, but its rise showed how diaspora-linked gangs can wield significant influence within migrant communities in Europe.

Emerging and Peripheral Networks

• Beyond the UK-based factions, Turkish gangs have become active in southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece) and northern Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany).
• Arrests in Italy (May 2024) of 17 Turkish nationals linked to a homicide network, and the execution of six Turkish men in Greece (2023), suggest the presence of loosely connected but highly violent cells across the continent.
• These groups are opportunistic, using ports, diaspora communities, and logistics hubs as springboards for expansion.

⚖️ Key Insight: The conflict is no longer limited to two London-based gangs; it involves a broader constellation of Turkish-origin networks rooted in diaspora communities, heroin legacies, and newly globalized drug markets.

Geography of Violence

The unfolding conflict is not confined to one country. Instead, it stretches across multiple European cities, each incident reinforcing the picture of a transnational feud that transcends borders and law-enforcement jurisdictions.

Barcelona, Spain

On May 4, 2024, Ilmettin “Tekin Kartal” Aytekin, a Turkish national with links to the Hackney Turks, was shot dead in a Barcelona restaurant. Witnesses reported that he had been dining with Abdullah Baybaşin, underlining the enduring influence of the Baybaşin clan in southern Europe. This killing highlighted Barcelona’s role as both a logistics hub for cocaine shipments and a stage for high-profile assassinations, blending underworld rivalries with global trafficking routes.

London, United Kingdom

The Hackney district of London has long been the epicenter of Turkish gang rivalries. On May 29, 2024, gunmen opened fire on the Evin Café in Hackney, critically injuring a nine-year-old child. The attack, widely interpreted as part of the feud between the Hackney Turks and Tottenham Turks, shocked the public because of its reckless disregard for civilian safety. London remains both the historical home base of the rival gangs and a key battleground where their feuds spill into public view.

Chișinău, Moldova

On July 10, 2024, Izzet Eren, a leading figure of the Tottenham Turks, was assassinated in the Moldovan capital. Once imprisoned in the UK and later deported to Turkey, Eren had continued to wield influence over his network. His killing demonstrated the gangs’ ability to pursue rivals across borders, expanding the feud into eastern Europe and underscoring the vulnerability of diaspora leaders outside major EU countries.

Athens and Other Cities in Greece

In September 2023, Greek authorities discovered the bodies of six Turkish nationals, all executed in what was believed to be a gangland revenge killing. Reports suggested that the murders were linked to a chain of retaliatory attacks involving Turkish criminal groups operating between Paris and Athens. Greece’s role as a transit point along Balkan smuggling routes makes it a natural extension of these conflicts.

Italy

In May 2024, Italian police, supported by Europol, arrested 17 Turkish nationals linked to a homicide network. The operation revealed how Turkish groups were embedding themselves in southern European criminal markets, using Italy both as a base for trafficking and as a staging ground for violent operations.

The Hague, Netherlands

On May 2, 2025, Cemil Önal, a Turkish businessman, was murdered in Rijswijk near The Hague. The killing, reportedly linked to disputes over illegal gambling and allegations of political corruption, suggested that Turkish organized crime networks are not limited to drug trafficking but are branching into gambling, money laundering, and political influence in northern Europe.

⚖️ Key Insight: The violence is polycentric, with hotspots in western, southern, and southeastern Europe. Each killing or attack not only escalates the feud but also reveals how Turkish criminal networks exploit ports, diaspora communities, and political gray zones to sustain their operations.

Tactics and Tradecraft

The methods used in the recent wave of Turkish gang-related violence show a deliberate shift toward high-profile, public, and transnational operations. These tactics are not only designed to eliminate rivals but also to send signals of dominance within the underworld and to intimidate entire communities.

Public Assassinations

Many of the killings have occurred in restaurants, cafés, or city streets, with little concern for collateral damage. The Barcelona shooting of Tekin Kartal and the Hackney café drive-by demonstrate a willingness to risk civilian casualties in order to stage dramatic attacks. These incidents reflect an intention to maximize visibility and psychological impact, breaking traditional underworld “rules” of keeping violence in the shadows.

Drive-By Shootings and Motorbike Attacks

The use of drive-by shootings, often carried out with automatic weapons from cars or motorbikes, has become a signature tactic. Fast, mobile, and difficult to trace, these methods enable attackers to strike in crowded urban environments before quickly disappearing. Motorbike assassinations, long used by Balkan and Italian mafias, have now been adopted by Turkish gangs to execute swift and targeted hits.

Cross-Border Hit Squads

The Chișinău assassination of Izzet Eren illustrates how gangs deploy cross-border teams to track and eliminate rivals far from their original base. These operations often involve coordination across multiple jurisdictions, complicating law enforcement responses. Such tactics underscore the gangs’ ability to operate as transnational criminal organizations rather than isolated diaspora cells.

Retaliation and Escalation Cycles

Turkish gang wars frequently follow a retaliatory pattern: one killing prompts an equally violent response, leading to a cycle of revenge. The six murders in Greece in 2023, reportedly connected to a Paris hit, demonstrate how feuds escalate across countries and involve multiple networks. Retaliation is not only about punishment but also about protecting reputation and deterring defections.

Psychological and Community Intimidation

Beyond the killings themselves, the choice of public venues and timing signals an intent to intimidate. Attacks in diaspora neighborhoods—such as Hackney in London—reinforce the gangs’ control over local communities, where fear and silence become forms of social order. Public violence also serves as a warning to rivals and potential informants.

Exploitation of Social Media and Diaspora Networks

Although not always openly documented, some gang factions leverage diaspora communication channels and social media to amplify their reputation, spread fear, and glorify violent acts. This digital dimension mirrors practices seen in Latin America, where cartels use media as part of their psychological arsenal.

⚖️ Key Insight: Turkish gangs are increasingly using spectacular, transnational violence as a strategic tool – not only to settle disputes but also to project power. Their tactics blend speed, mobility, public intimidation, and international reach, making them a uniquely complex challenge for European law enforcement.

Legal and Security Implications

The spread of Turkish gang wars across Europe is not only a criminal problem but also a legal and public security challenge. The combination of transnational operations, public violence, and complex diaspora links stretches the capacity of national law enforcement and raises serious concerns about civilian safety and rule of law.

Risk to Civilians

The Hackney café shooting, which left a nine-year-old critically injured, illustrates how innocent bystanders are now directly exposed to organized crime violence. Unlike older underworld traditions where violence was kept within criminal circles, Turkish gang conflicts are increasingly fought in public spaces, raising the risk of mass harm and social panic.

Strain on Law Enforcement

Investigations into assassinations in Barcelona, Chișinău, and The Hague show how gangs exploit jurisdictional gaps in European policing. Coordinating surveillance, evidence collection, and extradition across multiple countries remains cumbersome. Europol-supported operations, such as the Italian arrests in May 2024, demonstrate progress, but overall responses remain fragmented.

Prosecution Challenges

Espionage and terrorism laws provide some models, but organized crime cases of this scale face persistent hurdles:

• Extradition delays between EU and non-EU states (e.g., Turkey, Moldova).
• Reliance on witness testimony in communities often intimidated into silence.
• Evidence gathering across borders, especially when gang members use multiple passports or aliases.

Expansion Beyond Narcotics

The murder of Cemil Önal in Rijswijk (2025) suggests that Turkish criminal groups are expanding into illegal gambling, money laundering, and even political influence. This diversification complicates law enforcement approaches, as the gangs now intersect with white-collar crime and corruption investigations, requiring different tools than drug interdiction.

Threat to Rule of Law and Trust

Public assassinations in European capitals risk eroding trust in the state’s ability to protect its citizens. If organized crime is seen to act with impunity, it undermines the credibility of police and courts, particularly in diaspora neighborhoods where fear may already limit cooperation with authorities.

⚖️ Key Insight: Turkish gang wars are no longer a niche law enforcement issue. They pose a serious threat to civilian safety, strain cross-border policing systems, and risk undermining public confidence in legal institutions. Without coordinated strategies, Europe may face a sustained wave of transnational, violent organized crime.

Policy and Legal Reflections

The escalation of Turkish gang wars in Europe highlights the urgent need for coordinated legal reforms and policing strategies. These conflicts are not confined to one country but span multiple jurisdictions, requiring responses that match their transnational scope.

Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation

• Joint taskforces under Europol and Eurojust should be expanded to specifically target Turkish organized crime networks, with dedicated resources for intelligence sharing.
• Faster extradition and mutual legal assistance agreements are necessary, especially with Turkey and non-EU neighbors like Moldova, to close jurisdictional gaps exploited by gang leaders.

Financial Investigations and Asset Freezing

• Just as trustee appointments (TMSF) are used in Turkey for companies linked to espionage, European authorities should prioritize asset freezes, financial tracing, and anti-money laundering tools to dismantle the economic power of gangs.
• Focus on ports, logistics companies, and gambling networks, which often act as fronts for organized crime.

Protecting Communities and Witnesses

• Diaspora communities in London, Barcelona, and northern Europe face intimidation from gangs. Law enforcement must invest in witness protection programs, community policing, and outreach, to break the cycle of silence.
• Civil society engagement is essential to prevent gangs from embedding themselves further in migrant communities.

Expanding the Legal Toolbox

• National laws should be updated to reflect the transnational and violent nature of modern organized crime. This may involve:
  • Treating gang killings with the same gravity as terror-related offenses, to unlock higher investigative powers.
  • Incorporating digital evidence and surveillance tools to track cross-border hit squads.
  • Ensuring fair trial protections to avoid abuses while maintaining effective prosecutions.

International Collaboration Beyond Europe

• Given Turkish gangs’ growing involvement in cocaine networks tied to Latin America, cooperation with South American states and Interpol will be critical.
• Turkey itself must play a more constructive role in monitoring its diaspora-linked crime groups abroad, both through intelligence sharing and judicial cooperation.

⚖️ Key Insight: Combating Turkish organized crime in Europe requires more than arrests – it demands a comprehensive legal and policy framework that combines cross-border policing, financial disruption, community protection, and international collaboration. Without such measures, the cycle of violence risks becoming a permanent feature of Europe’s criminal landscape.

Conclusion

The ongoing wave of Turkish gang wars across European cities illustrates how organized crime has evolved into a truly transnational phenomenon, no longer confined to hidden networks but carried out in public spaces with devastating consequences. From Barcelona to London, Chișinău to The Hague, the conflict reflects a toxic mix of drug market disruptions, diaspora rivalries, and globalized criminal alliances.

The violence is not only a challenge for law enforcement but also a test of Europe’s legal resilience. Assassinations in cafés and public streets undermine public confidence in the rule of law, while jurisdictional gaps make it difficult for prosecutors and police to bring perpetrators to justice. The diversification of Turkish networks into cocaine, methamphetamine, gambling, and money laundering further complicates the legal picture, extending the threat beyond traditional narcotics cases into the broader economic and political sphere.

Addressing these risks requires coordinated legal strategies, including cross-border taskforces, faster extradition, asset-freezing mechanisms, and closer cooperation with Turkey and other non-EU states. Just as importantly, civilian protection and community engagement are needed to prevent diaspora neighborhoods from becoming permanent strongholds of criminal intimidation.

At this intersection of criminal law, organized crime, and international security, Bıçak Law Firm offers specialized legal services. With expertise in organized crime, transnational criminal law, national security, and corporate compliance, the firm supports clients facing the complex risks associated with investigations, asset freezes, or cross-border disputes. Our work combines academic insight and practical experience, making us a trusted partner for individuals, companies, and institutions navigating the challenges posed by organized crime and its global reach.

⚖️ The Turkish gang wars in Europe are a stark reminder that organized crime is no longer local but global. Only through law, cooperation, and expertise can this threat be contained – and Bıçak Law Firm stands ready to contribute to that effort.