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Police fear an explosion in violence between rival drug gangs after a supermarket worker was shot dead in the street in London last night.
The 21-year-old Turkish victim was shot in the head in a suspected gangland hit in Clapton. Shocked eye-witnesses reported hearing “rapid semi-automatic gunfire” before a hooded man was seen sprinting from the scene.
The killing comes just three days after Turkish gangster Oktay Erbasli was gunned down at the wheel of his Range Rover in Tottenham. The 23-year-old businessman was shot in front of his girlfriend and five-year-old stepson.
Detectives were today examining links between the two murders and fear the killings are the latest round in an escalating war between rival Turkish gangs over the distribution of heroin in London.
Police say there have been a string of shootings in recent months which are linked to two gangs the Bombacilar and the Tottenham Boys.
They are also examining a possible link to a murder in March when motorcycle assassins shot dead a father and wounded his son at a grocery store in a suspected case of mistaken identity.
Father of three Ahmet Paytak, 50, was shot in the stomach by a gunman, who had jumped off the back off a powerful bike at the Euro Wine and Food shop in Holloway.
In the latest suspected attack a 21-year-old Turkish supermatker worker was shot dead in Ickburgh Street at 10.50pm last night.
Witnesses said the victim, named locally as Cem, may have been playing snooker at a social club before the incident.
A volley of three shots rang out and residents said it sounded like the gunfire came from a semi-automatic weapon.
A hooded man was seen sprinting from the scene, which is an area dubbed “murder mile” by locals.
Shop worker Berit Kalan, 24, said night shift workers had told her about the incident which was shortly before 11pm last night.
She said: “I heard there were three shots and it happened somewhere around the station.
“My colleagues who were working nights told me he was a young guy who came from work to play snooker.
“Apparently three cars came along shortly afterwards with some of his friends in them and they were screaming why did this happen?'
“It sounds like the guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
A man who lives nearby, but did not want to be named, said: “I heard three bangs and it sounded like they came from a semi-automatic gun - it was rapid gunfire.
“I looked out of my window because I knew it was an unusual sound and I saw a hooded man running along past the supermarket.
“He ran into Southwold Road and then into an alleyway. He was carrying some sort of black plastic bag.
“His running technique really stood out - it was like an athlete's. I think he was somebody in his early twenties.”
Another local said: “They call it murder mile round here - there's always activity going on.”
Turkish gangs based in north London control the vast majority of the heroin smuggled into Britain.
Three years ago Abdullah Baybasin, the head of the Bombacilar gang, was jailed for 22 years for plotting to supply the drug.
The wheelchair bound crime godfather and Kurdish refugee was reputed to have controlled 90 per cent of the heroin smuggled into Britain. His brother Huseyin was known as “Europe's Pablo Escobar” and the gang ruled London's Turkish and Kurdish community with a climate of fear.
Since his arrest a new figure has taken over control of the gang amid clashes with rival groups.
Forensic officers were examining the scene in Clapton this morning and a large area was cordoned off and Clapton station is closed.
Two men in their mid-twenties have been arrested and are being questioned.
Anyone with information should call 0300 123 1212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Reader views (67)
I am so happy I live in such a small minded, bigoted, racist country!!!! Check the crime rate for "white" crime and then you will see ethnic crime is not even 10% of the total rate!! Because crimes committed by “whites” are so prominent it is not publicised, however any ethnic crime it is blown up by the media. Without immigrants this country would not survive, you would not eat all the different foods (curry, Chinese, Turkish, Spanish, Italian etc!!!!), music and who would do all the jobs the lazy "Caucasian" people can’t be bothered to do?!!! Finish like I started how happy I am to live in such a supposedly multi-cultural country!
- F, london
these are not over heroin,these are youths fighting for control of cannabis,this is going on all over uk,this drug is the biggest problem and always will be.police should shut where these gangs operate from.these gangs include every citizen including british where most cannabis is grown.
- Cekici, london
There are some on here missing the point that kids and teenagers are now very actively involved in the guns and drugs lifestyle. That's what has so radically changed in the London crimescene.
- Steve, London
If all the turks/ foreigners left london then instead of white foreigners(turks, spanish italians, polist etc), white english people will be running the drugs in london its all about supply and demand..if they get rid of turks someone else would just step up and replace them.. so stop blaming them its the idiot people that take the drugs that create a million pounds market tahts allows this. at least with turkish gangs its always been internal violance and what i mean by that is they only kill themselfs(other drug dealers/gang members.. and turkey joining the eu or not wouldnt make a differance you must be retarded to believe that. i believe the only solution is the same as what allen wrote. "Give the police more stop and search powers and longer sentences for carrying weapons."
- Anno, London
Is this yet more evidence of a "broken society"?
- Ted, London
Now I begin to understand why a large proportion of citizens here in France do not want Turkey in the EU.(Although a referendum which was held two years ago rejected the draft EC constitution, it was generally considered to be a vote against Turkey in the EU)
- David Chown, bordeaux france
Drugs are a lucrative market: governments are very good at messing up markets by intervening in them ,so why not the drugs market?
Buy the heroin and hash direct from the growers, who need an honest market, and GIVE them away on the street to users and addicts; separate the criminals from the addicts; remove the reward for promoting harmful drugs. These low-lifes will look elsewhere for easy money no doubt, but they won't have the same advantages the present system gives them. Young men won't die in Afghanistan, young women in Ipswich won't go on the game to buy their next fix, and risk their lives doing so.
- Mdj E10, london uk
Yeah to all the people who think its scum, some of them had no choice yes the guy who got shot in totenham was FAMILY do you get it family? you people do not understand because you havent lost anyone in such a way, the only reason there was drugs in his life was to look after his ill mother why would anyone want to do a thing? BECAUSE FOR SURE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO LOSE AND THEY FEAR THE ONES WHO HAVENT SO GUNS & KNIVES COME BEFORE MANHOOD THEY CANT FIGHT LIKE A MAN
- Unknown, hackney
For all those of you who are living in your lala land homes and societies I think you need to wake up and respect something... The Krays (twins) were born and bred in Hackney and were real English White Gangsters, NOT from a Foreign country same as all the other East London Gangsters and London Gangsters who come from way back in the 60's onwards etc. East London has been the home of Gangsters or maybe the birth of this life in England, yes people from abroad come here and get put into a soceity where this is around them all day everyday what are they meant to do... so before you start finger pointing smell the coffee and wake up.... !
- Teddy, Hackney
"These people", "scum", "back to where they came from". Can you be serious? Sure, hand out tougher sentences to the perpetrators, but don't for a minute suggest that immigration is the overarching cause. 99% of immigrants (and that includes the relatives or friends of almost every Londoner) are in London for legitimate and law-abiding reasons and many (and I'm in this bracket) wouldn't even consider themselves an immigrant. Don't use a terrible situation such as this to vent your bigoted spleens. London does not need people like you and opinions like yours; it needs positivity, understanding and, yes, harsher sentencing.
- Will, Newington Green, North London
London is getting like the centre /outskirts of Johannesburg. London is being lost for ever.
- Eloise, London
I live within a mile of where this happened. One of the things I love about this area is the cultural diversity and the Turkish community brings a great deal in this respect. One of my Turkish neighbours is helping me tidy up our garden and improve the area which he also considers home. As a white British citizen I have to reflect on the fact that many middle class British folk are willing to demonise "foreigners" but happy to create a market for the drugs that are supplied, creating a need that is worth deadly competition. Heroin may be less popular in the city but gang wars to supply cocaine and marijuana are equally contributory to violence on our streets but in our society plenty of people are happy to ignore the fact that their private habits contribute to these situations. People buying the drugs cause this problem. Supply would not exist without demand and the customers are likely to be white British, so don't think that we are better than anybody else or that this problem is as a result of immigrants and that Britain is being tarnished by a blight that we are forced to endure.
- Shelley, Stoke Newington, London
I can not understand what some peoploe are saying,blaming all Turks for a few mindless thugs,and I was always of the opinon that Turks where White.
I mean if Turks are not white where does that leave the Spanish Italians are they also not white.Turkish people on the whole are friendly and law abiding so cut out the racisim over a few thugs.
- William Cameron, Londonderry N Ireland
To Jenny, no doubt you are an advocate of the multicultural nightmare the socialists have forced on us. How do you justify all the rapes, murders, knifings committed by non-Brits? How do you justify all the suffering in those families of murdered sons like the Kinsellas or raped daughters and sisters. What price do we have to pay for your social engineering?
- Richard, Hastings
Vote no to Turkey entering the EU! If not I will guarantee Blair as President will force Britain to take millions of them and then we will have more of this!
- Richard, Hastings
I left hackney 4 years ago, lived there for 58 years, after two murders in our road, time to leave my roots behind, my history, culture lost forever. We have enough scum, now were allowing the scum of the world to add to our problems.
- Brenda Stokes, Canterbury
The police just knocked on my about this crime, it happened a few hundred yards away from the station my wife and I use every week day to go to work. I didn’t have anything to help the officers with, I was in the shower so I could get to be to go to work and otherwise mind my own business when I heard the crack, crack...crack.
So someone, maybe involved with heroin trafficking, is dead. So what?
Its my street and we are going to watch and wait for retaliation, and maybe someone will get caught in the crossfire, me or my neighbour or a passerby: that’s what.
“Foreigners?” if it wasn’t Turks controlling local heroin distribution it would be someone else. In Italy, its run by the Italians, if the Kray’s brothers were still about, maybe you’d point the finger at the English again? No matter what colour face it is, it is big business and as long as there is demand there will be drugs. Any contraband has its distribution disagreements settled out of sight and when that fails it get sorted with violence. Forget about media hype and hysteria, its not race, its not a deteriorating society, its an old storey repeated here as it was in different times and places since god knows when. Dont get me wrong, I agree, they are scum and would be pleased to see them locked away for 25 years and no parole.
That’s not how the government we elected will deal with it, so it will always be here, but for the finger pointers: do yourself a favour and look at the bigger picture.
- Jack, Clapton
Well, it it estimated that 90 of all crime in the UK is drug related and that 100,000 people commit almost 90% of crime. Can you imagine the britain of 100 years ago tolerating 100,000 people destroying the lives of millions? Especially when these 100,000 had to be imported from such lovely places as Nigeria, Bangladesh and Pakistan. How easy it would be to solve the problems that face not only Britain but the whole of Europe. The British Army would be perfectly suited for the task as our own police could not match the firepower of these gangs. Nor do they have the willpower. Until people stop whining and stand up and do something about it this country will continue its descent into third world horror and agony. The decline, of course, being led by third world people. Idiots like Jenny are responsible for the entire mess. Forever willing to scream the word "racist" when someone points to the obvious causes of the breakdown of our country. In the future we will have less and less patience with such left wing liberals. I hope people take the phrase "less patience" as the euphimism as which it was intended.
- James, Frankfurt, Germany.
A couple of years ago, BBC journalist Rageh Omar had a TV series on Britain's gangs. The London gangs featured were Turkish, because they run the biggest networks of trafficking and distribution of heroin from Afghanistan. One of the reasons given why they're so big was that the security forces and customs had cracked down sharply on the Pakistani's and Afghan's trafficking routes through Europe. That acted to cut down on their funding on terrorism. (Though Asian gangs in the the midlands and north had distribution networks).
People who come to settle in this country and make their living off drug dealing big or small, condemn their British born kids to being caught up "in the life" as the gang culture has it. It's like they condemn their own unborn children as well as those who get hooked on the dope they sell, to hell as a way of life.
- Steve, London
Turkish eh?Imported crime , that labour policy isnt it?
- Philip, ipswich england
To remind readers of Labour's policy on crime:
- Soft on Criminals
- Soft on Crime
- Soft on the causes of crime
- To hell with the consequences of crime (unless MP's are involved - queue Baroness Scotland - Harriet Harman)
BUT..
- Tough on the victims of crime
- Indifferent to the social cost of crime
- Indifferent to the poor devils who have to enforce peace
- And to hell with the decent, law-biding people of the UK.
Hence, the criminal rights act (aka Human rights act)to make sure the courts don't give them a hard time either.
- Joannie, newham, London
he shouldnt have been in the country in the first place
- Coady, london
Gas chamber for murder would start to redress the anarchy.This country is now in the midst of a blight from these foreign marauders.A change is in the air ;whether that be government or public attitude.Their timew is running out and inevitably we will move to a police state.
- Tony Essex, Uk
Since Poland joined the EU alot of people moan about the influx of the Poles into the U.K, but at least they don't get involved in this type of public inter-gang warfare.
Blair was always keen for Turkey to join the EU. At least Merkel's Germany & Sarkozy's France are opposed to such a move.
- Mark H, London England
Yep, the Turkish community need to face up to the violence they have brought to North London, including gangs dealing in Heroin.
They cannot hide behind a veil of politicla correctness.
- Simon, London
Immigrants do pay tax.
- Fela, London.
Hoorayyy.... another drug dealer off our streets.. Please keep killing each other and I will continue to celebrate. Drug Dealers and all those associated with them including their families who are well aware of what they do are the lowest of the low and I along with many many others who have seen what harm drugs causes to people and Im not talking about drug users I am talking about those people who are robbed by junkies desperate to get their next fix will be celebrating at each death.
- Sean, London
I am under the impression that the majority of people reading this story think that because you have a foreign name you must be illegale. No wonder why the BNP are gaining votes. Ignorant people believe ignorant nonsense.I not saying that these people are right with what they are doing. NO! But british born people do have foreign names.
- T, Brighton
Ali,Hackney.Birnur, Northampton.Im sorry for the vast majority of Turks, who are hard working and law abiding descent people,we know your not all gun toting criminals,its just a few bad apples,i know i have many Turkish and Kurdish friends,and i value them as the fine people they are.
- Kev, London-UK
Jenny, crawling do-gooders like you make people like me want to stick my fingers down my throat. Why don't you crawl back into you wibbly-wobbly world and be gone for good?
- Nowan King, London
what is happening to my great city!! its like a cancer is destroying it day by day. we hold out our hand and show some love and it gets thrown back in our faces by these cheating souless lost desperate people. its about time people started respecting this once great city. worrying times ahead if things dont change soon!!!
- J North London, north london
I see xenophobia is alive and well.
The good thing about London is its a diversity, however this also includes a diversity in its criminal enterprises.
It sounds as though many respondents would prefer the armed gangs to be white/British.
- Daniel, London
They that live by the sword, let them die by the sword
- Joey, bromley england
It seems like London is being taken over by foreign gangs and criminals whose children grow up to follow in their footsteps. They seem to regard London as their territory, divided into their own private turfs. Who have we let in to come and live among us?
Babylon of London, please go to Murder Mile and voice your opinion in person. I love the way people always complain about "foreigners" but never seem to have the guts to say anything in person without a gang of racists for backup
- Nardia, London
Oh dear Jenny,you have been reading too many enid blyton books and confusing them with real life,please return to your marzipan cottage and your virtual reality existence.
- General Lee'Wright, Mad Max Britain
Jenny, these people you say who have such a loving family and things, would not even think twice if you got in the way of them to shoot you.
- Josh, London
This sort of news is all too common nowadays in London.
I am based in Brent and drug gangs, 'gangsta's' appear to run around the borough doing what they please. The problem won't go away as long as immigration is open to anyone that can stow away on a cross-channel lorry.
I watched a police programme on TV late the other evening, I was amazed that people stopped with offensive weapons were cautioned, driving uninsured cautioned, drunk and disorderly cautioned, illegal immigrants driving without a licence, referred to immigration then released to report to a police station (as if they would.
I saw the photos of young people murdered in London over the last few months, most were of foreign origin. What is going on with the so called authorities, don't they care about Britain or this mass influx of criminals.
First sign of trouble from any person coming to this country as an immigrant should be removed immediately, ones serving time for offences should never set foot on this soil again only to walk from the prison van to the aircraft taking them back to where they originated.
- David T, London
loook am turkish myself but you can not blame all the turkish people out,
- Ali, hackney
The more drug dealers that kill each other the better !! The better for me, the better for my two sons and the better for everyone! As for your comment Jenny "The people who are dying on the streets are brothers, uncles, fathers, sons to someone. Nobody should lose their life in such a terrible way".....so ae the young, impressionable people that die from drug overdoses and other drug related deaths, they're also someones son, brother, father, uncle etc. I think you should get your priorities right! One thing you was right about though.. we shouldn't compare them to rats and squirrels ...as it's an insult to the rats and squirrels. I wonder if you would still have so much sympathy with these people if your two sons crossed the road like mine do where the shooting took place, on their way home from school every afternoon at 4.00pm where it happened, one stray bullet and i could of been burying my son this week too !! .. so please don't talk about getting out more and educating your mind on the things you talk about... i think that's what you need to do! I bet you're probably tucked away in a nice little affluent part of London.
- Maria, Tottenham, London.
"It seems like London is being taken over by foreign gangs and criminals" It may seem like that if you believe the newspapers, but it isn't. In reality most of us will go through our lives untouched by any of this. Exaggerating the situation doesn't help anyone.
- Nolan, Londonist
Has the Wire come to London?
- C.D.C, Shrewsbury
Scum must be removed. A minimum 50 year sentence might help. Going soft on vermin is useless. No parole,
no minimum sentence, the USA know what is what on this one!
- Macdangler, Wimbledon SW19
Hi, I am Turkish girl as well, I live in Northmapton but I have some family friends in London. I think I know him, and he is dead, we do not know who are doing this. we are very veeryyy sorryy, there is nothing to do for him and us. We dont want anyone to hurt or die, this iss soo terribble
and I want the UK police to stop that, and arrest the murder/killer please do not let them go away. the government should do somthing for the all young people, becs. to die, not good for young poeple
- Birnur, Northampton
Sorry Jenny, but Dec's right, drug money is the fast and easy way to a very nice lifestyle for those with nothing (to lose).
- Madmax, London
More scum off the streets is needed, more are comming into this country, culling is good for this filth. The only problem is that the English are now tainted with this type of problem if they live there, no wonder so many are moving out of the city.
- Dec, London
Tell it like it is Dec.
I would like to relate an incident that arose some 5 years ago
There was an all out street war between caucasian gangs in the Paddington area. Teens were getting their heads blown off, One father while walking his 5 year old to school was shot 5 times in the head-incredibly he survived- kids were wearing bullet proof jackets while others were setting up former friends to get murdered.
Several teens and 20 somethings were killed.
This was happening over a good few months and yet very little if any got media attention.
Believe me, most of the biggest drug wars are fought between caucasian gangs. So in future give some thought to what you opine and stop being so narrow minded and blinkered
- Seenitall, London
Well as long as these criminals are only killing each other, at least it saves us any future costs, in subsidising their worthless lives.
Oh and Jenny London, people with your silly wet liberal attitude are half the problem.
- P Staker, Londonistan.
Who cares about the scum let them kill as many of each other as possible. The more that dies the better.
- Stephend, London, England
Oh dear Jenny, do you consider the damage the heroin dealers do to people who become adicts and their families?
- Graham, London
Jenny,
I hope your bleeding heart keeps you warm at night.
Perhaps if they killed or injured one of your own you wouldn't be so keen for them to rest in perfect peace - which, by the way, is a truly vomit inducing comment to make in these circumstances. You are the one that needs to get real, love!
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
'Turkish gangs based in North London....' Welcome to the joys of multiculturalism!
- Brian Taylor, Oxford UK
Jenny get real! Brothers, uncles, fathers, sons AND DRUG DEALERS. Let them continue killing each other for the death and misery they sell on street corners. It is far more effective and more of a deterant than the measly sentances and comfortable jails they would otherwise be sent to for 5 minutes.
It is however a tragedy when innocents are caught up in the cross fire.
- Adam, London
jenny london
"Nobody should lose their life in such a terrible way. May both young men, whose lives have been cut short in their prime," blah blah blah
are you related to this scum?
what about the lives their heroin dealing ruins?,not just of the user but their families and the rest of society.
The more of this imported scum that kills each other the better.
- Kedge, wilts, england
I'm with Dec. As long as these "refugees" can shoot straight who cares. One does wonder why plod can't catch any real criminals in advance of any crimes. Very good at closing off large areas to look for evidence after the fact. Give them a hose and a brush and get the traffic moving.
- Jon, london
The more heroin dealers that decide to wipe each other off the face of the planet the better ! As for you Jenny.. don't insult the squirrels and rats by comparing these people to them ! "The people who are dying on the streets are brothers, uncles, fathers, sons to someone" that maybe true, therefore they should take their parental responsibilty more seriously before taking part in a criminal way of life... the people that they sell drugs to that are dying of overdoses and other drug related deaths are also someones son, father, brother etc... get your priorities right !! It's because of people with opinions like yours that this country is in thestate it's in !!!!!!
- Maria, London, England
Good! Let them annihilate each other.Cheaper for the British taxpayer (no trial or prison expenses).Why this trash is allowed to come here in the first place is astounding.
- Luke, Purley
"May both young men, whose lives have been cut short in their prime, rest in perfect peace"
Get real, Jenny! A more fitting epitaph for these heroin dealing scum is "hope they rot in hell"!
- Richard, London
Jenny, London: "Pot calling the kettle black" comes to mind! What a very naive person you are. "People are not coming to this country to do this" - have you bothered to read the article, "Turkish gangs based in north London control the vast majority of the heroin smuggled into Britain," - "police are concerned about excalating violence between two Turkish gangs fighting to control the Heroin trade in London." It may have been here already, but only because the Turkish drug lords were here already.
- Phil, London, UK
Jenny, London:
If these young men don't want to die in this unfortunate way as you put it, then perhaps they shouldn't indulge in serious criminal activity. They know the risks and think it's worth it.
Now innocent people getting killed by mistake...That's different.
- Mark H, London England
London is known for being a soft touch for criminal gangs from over seas,they know the police have one hand tied behind their backs,the police only have to look at some communities to be accused of being racist,how else would you explain the ammount of Turkish so called sports clubs that sell hash quiet openly, and have done year on year and have not had one visit from the police!It would be a different story if it was a white British guy doing this,he would be lucky to be in business a week,add to that the fact that they get special concessions tax wise to encourage them to open sports clubs,and there entitlement to social housing that they sublet for hundreds of pounds a week,if you were a foreign criminal you would be mad not to come to the UK.
- Kev, London-UK
Murder Mile's death toll rises again
- Sharon, Hackney
It seems like London is being taken over by foreign gangs and criminals whose children grow up to follow in their footsteps. They seem to regard London as their territory, divided into their own private turfs. Who have we let in to come and live among us? London is a strange and weird place these days. Bears very little resemblance to how people lived there only fifteen years ago!
- B.A. Bylon, London
My friend you need to calm down...You can't say this scum.
You have to blame, parents, the government for putting the power into these people's hands and why are guns so easy to buy?
The government needs to maximise the sentences given out instead of being too nice to these people who want to commit crime.
Look at Ronnie Briggs, he done hard time, but here people get slap on the wrists.
- Adrian, london
Since Turkey isn't in the EU - yet! and hopefully never! - why can't the government get rid of these Turkish gangs that are blighting ordinary Londoners' lives?
- Js, London
Solution simple. Give the police more stop and search powers and longer sentences for carrying weapons. Lets stop the human rights and race issue card being used.Then the streets may be safe again.
Remember if you are innocent whats the problem.
- Allan, Brasil
When caught they will be sentenced to ten years of playstation,watching dvds,free gym membership and three free meals a day,all paid for by the tax payer.
- Dave, london
Oh dear Dec. Culling? Do you think you are talking about squirrels or rats? The people who are dying on the streets are brothers, uncles, fathers, sons to someone. Nobody should lose their life in such a terrible way. May both young men, whose lives have been cut short in their prime, rest in perfect peace. People are not coming to this country to do this. It is already here and escalating on a terrifying basis. The government need to tighten up sentencing in the courts. If you are given 5 years for gun posession, you should serve 5 years and not 2.5yrs. Until the system tightens up, people will continue to take another life without remorse or punishment - irrespective of their kinship. Get some knowledge Dec, as this is not a problem isolated to the city. You need to get out more so that you can educate your mind on the things you comment on...!
- Jenny, London
More scum off the streets is needed, more are comming into this country, culling is good for this filth. The only problem is that the English are now tainted with this type of problem if they live there, no wonder so many are moving out of the city.
- Dec, London
