Turkish Mafia Boss Killed in Hospital in Spain
A Turkish mafia leader was shot and killed in his hospital bed on Thursday in Tarragona, Spain, just days after surviving a vicious attack where he was shot multiple times, according to local news.
Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra police have opened an investigation into the incident, which is suspected to be linked to ongoing conflicts between Turkish gangs.
The victim, Mekin Büyükdeniz, 35, is believed to be the head of the Istanbul-based criminal gang known as 10 Kardeşler (“Ten Brothers”). He had been receiving treatment at Joan XXIII University Hospital in Tarragona after being seriously injured on October 16.
Reports indicate that an unidentified individual fired upon Büyükdeniz while he was walking in the coastal town of Salou, delivering over a dozen gunshot wounds. Miraculously, he survived that attack.
However, on Thursday, a masked individual, wearing a hood and bicycle helmet, gained access to the hospital’s trauma unit and shot him at least three times, fatally wounding him while he was with his partner. Notably, he had been moved from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to a different floor, where security measures had reportedly been relaxed.
Security camera footage from the hospital, published by Ok Diario, shows the shooter navigating the hallways and later leaving the premises on a scooter. Interestingly, he avoided the main entrance, which was closed at the time. At one point, he seemed aware of the cameras and attempted to conceal his face as he moved deeper inside.
Olga Pané, the Health Minister for the local Catalonian government, mentioned that two security guards were present during the incident but were attending to another critical situation, the nature of which remains unclear. Allegedly, the shooter exited through a door typically used for taking out the trash.
As of now, local authorities have not dismissed the possibility that the perpetrator may have already left Spain.
Both Spanish and Turkish news sources have reported that the “Ten Brothers” gang is associated with a wide range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, arms dealing, murder, and extortion.
According to El Español, citing unnamed police sources, Büyükdeniz had refused to file a complaint following the earlier ambush and was not particularly helpful to investigators. He reportedly expressed to hospital staff and police that he feared his enemies might attempt to kill him at any opportunity.
There has been a noticeable rise in Turkish mafia activity in the Catalonia region over the past two years, as reported by the authorities.
Investigators are exploring whether the assassination of Büyükdeniz was part of a “settling of scores” stemming from criminal activities that resulted in the arrest of 21 Turkish gang members in March for drug and arms trafficking, with the majority of arrests occurring in Catalonia.
