Six Turkish gang members fatally shot in attack near Athens

ATHENS

Six Turkish gang members have been fatally shot in an attack by unidentified assailants at a seaside town near Athens, according to local media reports.

The incident took place in the coastal town of Artemida, situated 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of the Greek capital. A police statement confirmed the discovery of the victims at the scene.

Greek daily Proto Thema posted a video purportedly showing police presence at the location after the shooting, revealing that the targeted vehicle had German license plates.

Following the incident, Greek authorities contacted the Turkish Consulate, which revealed that all the individuals in the vehicle were members of the gang led by Barış Boyun.

Proto Thema reported the recovery of 25 shell casings at the scene and noted that police were actively searching for a car and a motorcycle believed to have been used by the assailants.

Among those killed in the attack was Doruk Ersu Büyüktunç, who had managed to escape a police operation in Istanbul's Çekmeköy district. Other gang members who lost their lives in the incident included Abdurrahman Tekru, Ozan Kaan Tozlu, Barış Çağan, Ömer Kanza and Burak Tahmaz.

Boyun had fled abroad after a series of confrontations with rivals over the division of drug trade income which led to police pursuing him in Istanbul. Despite Türkiye’s extradition request, he was released with a curfew outside the Italian city where he had been detained.

In April, a major operation resulted in the detention of 131 gang members associated with his crime croup. Subsequently, some of the gang members began fleeing abroad. In altercations overseas, Emircan Yılmaz was killed in Abkhazia, Edip Yalçın in Georgia and Halil Ay in France.

Following the revelation of Georgia as the initial escape route chosen by gang members, Greece has become a preferred destination for those fleeing abroad from the organization.