ATHENS: A 22-year old Turkish national was jailed pending trial in Greece on Tuesday after killing another Turk and seriously injuring a third in a gun attack, with police sources saying both victims were members of a criminal gang.
The gun attack took place at a supermarket in the port city of Piraeus on Friday afternoon.
The 22-year old man confessed when he appeared before a prosecutor on Tuesday, who ruled that he should be detained pending trial, a legal source said. He told police last week that the attack was an act of revenge for his uncle’s death and it was not related to criminal gang activities.
The victims, a 42-year old man who died after being shot multiple times and a 23-year old man who is being treated in hospital for bullet wounds to the chest, were members of the “Baygaralar” criminal gang that has been operating in Turkiye’s Adana city, the sources said.
They fled a few months ago to Greece due to gang rivalry and fears that they would be arrested by Turkish authorities after a recent crackdown on the criminal group, they said.
The injured man’s brother was killed a month ago in Berlin, while more “Baygaralar” gang members are suspected to have fled to other European countries, the sources added.
Greek judicial authorities do not officially comment on ongoing cases.
Following a tipoff by the Turkish intelligence service and acting on an international arrest warrant, Greek police arrested in May Ramazan Baygara, the suspected leader of “Baygaralar,” wanted by Ankara for a range of crimes including manslaughter. An extradition request is pending approval.
Turkiye and Greece, NATO allies and historic foes, have long been at odds over maritime boundaries among other issues. In recent months they have made high-profile steps to ease tensions and have stepped up cooperation in many sectors including security.