{"id":29315,"date":"2025-08-30T04:02:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T01:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bicakhukuk.com\/?p=29315"},"modified":"2025-10-05T18:59:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T15:59:01","slug":"turkish-gang-wars-in-european-streets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bicakhukuk.com\/en\/turkish-gang-wars-in-european-streets\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish Gang Wars in European Streets"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s borders. Once rooted in disputes over drug trafficking<\/a> and control of diaspora neighborhoods, these conflicts are now playing out in Barcelona, London, Chi\u0219in\u0103u, Athens, and The Hague, often in broad daylight and with deadly precision.<\/span><\/p>\n

The assassination of Ilmettin \u201cTekin Kartal\u201d Aytekin in Barcelona in May 2024, the drive-by shooting at a Hackney caf\u00e9 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 Bayba\u015fin clan, originally from Turkey\u2019s 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\u2019s Hackney Turks and Tottenham Turks, whose conflicts are now spilling violently into Europe\u2019s public spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the core of this surge in violence lies a shifting criminal economy. The disruption of the heroin trade following the Taliban\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Drivers of the Conflict<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Heroin Supply Shock<\/span><\/h4>\n

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\u2019s 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 \u201cbalance of power\u201d between rival networks was disrupted, creating conditions for violence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diversification into Cocaine and Methamphetamine<\/span><\/h4>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long-Standing Diaspora Rivalries<\/span><\/h4>\n

The conflict also has roots in historical feuds among Turkish diaspora gangs, particularly in London. Two groups stand out: the Hackney Bombac\u0131lar (Hackney Turks), linked to the Bayba\u015fin clan, and the Tottenham Turks, associated with figures like Izzet Eren. Their rivalry, stretching back decades, has resurfaced in today\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Globalization of Organized Crime<\/span><\/h4>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2696\ufe0f 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key Actors and Factions<\/span><\/h3>\n

Understanding today\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Hackney Bombac\u0131lar (Hackney Turks)<\/span><\/h4>\n