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Turkish prosecutors have filed charges against 105 suspected members of an armed criminal organization known as "the Daltons," seeking multiple life sentences for alleged crimes including murder, armed robbery and drug trafficking.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday that 69 of the suspects are currently in custody, while nine others, including alleged leader Beratcan Gokdemir, remain fugitives. The 1,676-page indictment details 63 separate charges against the defendants.
Prosecutors are seeking two aggravated life sentences plus prison terms ranging from 711 to 1,281 years and six months for seven key figures, including Gokdemir and lieutenants Bunyamin Yikar, Murat Kucukyavuz, Ahmet Mustafa Timo, Sinan Memi, Murat Ozavsar and Batin Can Gokdemir.
According to the indictment, the organization specifically targeted young people aged 15-20, using social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok and Facebook to recruit members. Prosecutors allege the group exploited popular culture and computer games to attract youth, with propaganda videos praising Gokdemir as "Istanbul's ambassador" and "ruler of the streets."
The indictment states that young recruits were used as "kamikaze drones" to carry out armed attacks without discrimination. Suspects arrested in the investigation came from various provinces across Türkiye, indicating the organization's nationwide reach.
Prosecutors allege the organization established a drug trafficking network stretching from Central America through Türkiye to Europe. The group reportedly began as contractors and hitmen for other criminal organizations before growing powerful enough to challenge major crime syndicates.
The charges include murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, theft, assault, weapons violations and drug trafficking. The organization allegedly generated substantial income through robberies, shootings, theft, assault and drug dealing.
According to the indictment, Gokdemir fled to Georgia and then Abkhazia following a murder in Istanbul's Bahcelievler district. While in Abkhazia, he and organization members Ahmet Aydin and Emircan Yilmaz came under armed attack, with Yilmaz killed and Aydin captured and imprisoned.
Gokdemir later moved to Russia, where he was arrested and imprisoned. Prosecutors say he continued directing the organization from abroad through teleconferences with members, using lawyers to send instructions and control testimonies of captured members.
The indictment details a May 27, 2024 shooting outside a PlayStation cafe in Bahcelievler's Sirinevler neighborhood, where Eyup Kara was shot in the head and killed. Police determined the suspects fled in a stolen Fiat Egea, abandoning the vehicle in Siyavuspasa neighborhood.
Investigators found ammunition, shell casings and two pistols in the abandoned car. Security camera footage showed two suspects discarding fake license plates before escaping by taxi. Brothers Kaan Comak and Mithat Comak were later arrested in the Avcillar district.
The case has been forwarded to Istanbul Heavy Penal Court for trial.
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