Two people killed, five injured in Istanbul gunfight

A group of men began shooting at the Ayışığı (Moonlight) Association late April 13, in the Gültepe neighborhood of Kağıthane, when people from inside the association responded. The gunfight left two people dead and five injured. 

Both 34-year-old Osman Kök and 26-year-old Murat Yavi, who were among the group who started the gunfight, died while 23-year-old B.A. from the same group was injured. The other wounded persons included 26-year-old U.F., 29-year-old İ.K. and 40-year-old Y.E.A. 

The wounded were taken to nearby hospitals, where their relatives became involved in altercations. A total of 24 people were detained by anti-riot police, who were called to the scene after the fight erupted. 

Meanwhile, Istanbul’s public security branch office launched an investigation into the incident and detained eight people, including an underage person allegedly involved in the gunfight. 

According to the initial testimonies of those detained by the police, the gunfight occurred due to an existing hostility between the two rival groups.

The association members allegedly warned neighborhood youths not to sit at the entrance of the association building, after which a dispute broke out. When another similar incident happened again on April 13, people from the association beat a young person up, thus supposedly igniting the wick for the gunfight later that night.