Greek authorities have apprehended four Turkish nationals in connection with a targeted daylight shooting in the coastal town of Nea Makri, an eastern suburb of downtown Athens. The arrests were made on Sunday, March 15, following a coordinated law enforcement operation.
Details of the Arrests and Investigation
Officers from the organized crime unit detained the four individuals while conducting parallel investigations in the northern port city of Thessaloniki. One of the men taken into custody for questioning is believed to be one of the primary shooters involved in the attack.
The Marathonos Avenue Ambush
The arrests stem from a violent confrontation that occurred on Tuesday afternoon, March 3, along Marathonos Avenue in Athens. Eyewitness accounts indicate that three suspects entered a local supermarket and approached a fourth man, also reportedly a Turkish national. Following a brief altercation inside the store, the targeted man left the premises and headed toward his parked vehicle.
Police reports detail that the three suspects then crossed the street and positioned themselves inside a mini-market. They reportedly waited there, actively monitoring their target for approximately 10 minutes. When the man finally entered his car and started the engine, the assailants approached the vehicle and fired at least seven shots at close range before fleeing the scene on foot.
The intended victim managed to drive away from the ambush, possibly escaping completely unscathed. Responding police units rushed to Marathonos Avenue, where they secured the perimeter and recovered seven spent bullet casings and one intact bullet from the street.
Following area searches, the targeted vehicle was located abandoned in the nearby suburban district of Dionysos. The car was found riddled with bullet holes, though the occupants had vanished by the time authorities arrived.
A Wider Conflict Among Turkish Criminal Organizations
This latest shootout is part of a troubling escalation of violence in Greece. Over the past few years, authorities have recorded several gangland-style assassinations and public shootouts directly attributed to rival Turkey-based criminal organizations operating within Greece.
Law enforcement officials view the Nea Makri incident as another chapter in this ongoing illicit war. This event is reminiscent of the September 2023 massacre in the nearby Artemida suburb, where six Turkish gang members were executed in a targeted hit.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to fully understand the scope of these criminal activities and bring all involved parties to justice.
Source: https://greekreporter.com/2026/03/15/athens-shooting-turkish-mafia-arrests/
