Beytullah Gunduz, a high-ranking figure in the Hackney Turks organized crime group, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 20 years for ordering the shooting of Onur Guzel outside a London restaurant. The conviction marks a significant development in the long-standing feud between the Hackney Turks and their rivals, the Tottenham Turks.
Gunduz, 40, was found guilty of conspiring to murder Guzel, who survived the attack but sustained serious injuries. The shooting occurred on June 20 last year, following failed attempts by Gunduz's associates to intimidate the Guzel family. Gunduz had wrongly accused the family of paying £100,000 to the Tottenham Turks for protection and demanded the same sum, a demand they refused.
The Hackney Turks, also known as the Bombacilar (meaning 'Bombers'), have been a dominant force in Britain's underworld since the 1980s, reportedly controlling up to 90% of the heroin entering the country by 2003. Their violent turf war with the Tottenham Turks has claimed at least 20 lives over the past two decades.
Despite his central role in organized crime, Gunduz had accumulated 80 previous convictions for minor offenses, including a three-month jail term for dangerous driving and threatening behavior. He had also been accused of orchestrating the 2013 assassination of Zafer Eren, a leader of the Tottenham Turks, but was acquitted in court.
Gunduz narrowly escaped death multiple times. In 2019, he received an 'Osman warning' from the Metropolitan Police indicating a threat to his life. The following year, a gunman's firearm jammed as he attempted to shoot Gunduz. In May 2024, he was the intended target of a shooting outside the Evin restaurant that instead left a nine-year-old girl with a bullet lodged in her brain.
Born in Turkey in 1986, Gunduz emigrated to Britain at age 10 and was drawn into gang activity in the Hackney area, which has a large Turkish and Kurdish community. He reportedly became a leader within the Hackney Turks, known for both his charm and his intimidating nature. His former girlfriend, solicitor Eylem Kahraman, was previously jailed for attempting to dissuade a witness in a kidnap trial.
During his trial, Gunduz denied any gang affiliation, claiming he made money buying and selling cars, receiving state benefits, and gambling on football. However, sources familiar with the underworld described these claims as false, stating his income derived from drug dealing and extortion. He is listed as a director of BG Cars, which is believed to be a front for laundering money from criminal activities.
The gunman in the attack on Onur Guzel fled to Istanbul, while Gunduz was arrested and subsequently convicted. Another associate involved in ordering the shooting, Javon Riley, a Tottenham Turks member, was jailed for life with a minimum of 34 years. The perpetrator of the Evin restaurant shooting, where the young girl was injured, remains at large, highlighting the gangs' continued reach.
Law enforcement officials suggest that Turkish organized crime groups, while still a concern, may be losing some of their historical dominance due to increased surveillance, a more willing public, and the arrests and deportations of key figures. The future of Gunduz's influence from behind bars remains uncertain, with speculation that he could eventually be deported to Turkey, similar to another dual national, Izzet Eren.