Prosecutors in İstanbul have filed a case against 40 minors accused of taking part in shootings, extortion and other crimes linked to an organized crime network authorities say was led by Barış Boyun, a Turkish suspect held in Italy, BBC’s Turkish service reported on Friday.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s juvenile crimes unit drafted an indictment seeking prison sentences ranging from 20 months to more than 75 years for suspects who are 15 to 18 years of age.
The minors face charges that include attempted murder, armed robbery, threatening with firearms and membership in an armed criminal organization.
In a separate statement on the case, the prosecutors’ office said the investigation covered 32 incidents and included 79 suspects, with 23 of them in custody and 16 under judicial supervision.
The indictment also lists charges such as damage to property, violations of Turkey’s firearms law, destroying or hiding evidence, illegal import or sale of firearms and ammunition, forgery and endangering public safety.
The case is one of several major prosecutions in Turkey that focus on street-level shootings and extortion that Turkish media describe as a “new generation” of organized crime groups that use social media and recruit teenagers.
Hearings in the juvenile case are expected to begin February 23, 2026, at the courthouse complex on the Marmara Prison campus in Silivri on İstanbul’s western outskirts.
Turkey uses the Marmara Prison courthouse for trials with large numbers of defendants, including political cases and major organized crime prosecutions.
Turkish authorities describe Boyun as the leader of an organized crime group who is accused of ordering shootings and other attacks in Turkey and abroad.
Italian police detained Boyun and 18 others in a joint operation announced May 22, 2024.
Turkey has said Boyun was wanted on an INTERPOL Red Notice and that the arrests followed cooperation between Turkish police and Italian authorities.
Minors described as shooters and lookouts
Prosecutors accuse Boyun’s group of using minors for tasks that range from armed attacks to surveillance and protection.
These minors come from lower-income parts of İstanbul, with recruitment often involving cash offers, threats and contact through social media platforms, including Instagram, according to Turkish media outlets that reviewed the indictment.
Some of the youngsters told investigators that they accepted offers of money to fire at businesses or vehicles, while others said they acted after threats against them or their families.
The indictment includes two girls among the minors charged and that six of the minors are foreign nationals from Syria and Azerbaijan.
Some of the children sought sentence reductions under Turkey’s “effective remorse” provisions, which can reduce penalties for suspects who cooperate with investigators.
Wider case against adult suspects
The juvenile case runs in parallel with adult prosecutions tied to the same alleged network.
One mass trial involving 305 defendants opened in February 2025 at the İstanbul 16th High Criminal Court and was held at the courthouse at the Marmara Prison complex because of security needs and the size of the case.
Separately, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported that a court accepted a 1,121-page indictment listing 304 defendants and scheduled hearings from February 23 to March 27, 2026 at the same courthouse.