Turkish citizen killed in Thessaloniki armed attack, Greek police suspect drug dispute

A Turkish national was shot dead in an armed attack on a vehicle in the Greek city of Thessaloniki on Tuesday, with police suspecting the assault is linked to an illicit drug trade conflict. The attack, which has raised alarms among Greek authorities, is prompting a major investigation.

According to reports from Greek news outlets To Vima and Skai, the victim, a 45-year-old Turkish citizen, was killed near the “Macedonia” bus station in the Oraiokastro district.

Another Turkish citizen, aged 39, who was in the same vehicle, sustained minor injuries. Eyewitnesses reported that around 1:00 PM on Tuesday, a black SUV without license plates blocked the car’s path and opened fire.

Initially, shots were fired from a distance at the vehicle’s front windshield. One of the attackers then exited the SUV and approached the car, firing three or four more shots at the passenger. The 45-year-old victim was fatally struck by two bullets to the head and heart. Experts have suggested the attack resembles a professional assassination, with nine 9mm shell casings found at the scene.

Greek police launch their investigations

In response to the shooting, Thessaloniki police have launched a comprehensive investigation. In related operations following the attack, eight people were arrested. Six of the detainees were charged with offenses including disobeying official orders, possession of drugs, fake passports and driver’s licenses, and carrying knives, while two others were arrested for irregularities in their residence documentation.

Additionally, Greek authorities carried out house raids in Athens. During searches of the deceased’s home in Piraeus and the survivor’s apartment in Argyroupoli, weapons and ammunition were discovered. A substantial amount of money and marijuana was seized from the vehicle involved in the shooting. During a raid in the Argyroupoli apartment, a handgun with two magazines was found, leading to the arrest of the 39-year-old driver on charges of drug and weapon possession.

Greek authorities believe the attack was likely the result of a drug trade dispute. The incident comes after a coordinated operation by ELAS last December 2024, which led to the arrest of eight individuals involved in criminal activity. Investigators are now focusing on the possibility that the shooting was related to Turkish mafia operations in Greece and the ongoing tensions between rival groups.

Victim and survivor’s backgrounds

Greek police (ELAS) have revealed that the deceased, a 45-year-old Turkish citizen, was under investigation in Türkiye for possessing and trafficking large quantities of heroin. The individual had been granted asylum status in Greece, which was valid until 2026, and was residing in Piraeus.

The 39-year-old survivor, also a Turkish national, had received asylum in Greece in 2024, with a residence permit valid until 2026. He was living in an apartment in the Argyroupoli district of Athens. Neither the deceased nor the survivor had previous criminal records in Greece, although the victim had previously been interrogated by Greece’s Organized Crime Fighting Department. The injured individual had once been detained in Western Greece.