Turkish prosecutors have indicted 51 minors, including 30 in pretrial detention, over 22 alleged gang-related incidents linked to an armed youth gang based in \u0130stanbul, the \u0130HA news agency reported on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Bak\u0131rk\u00f6y Chief Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office accuses the minors of involvement in a so-called \u201cnew generation\u201d armed criminal organization known as \u201cCasperlar,\u201d allegedly led by \u0130smail At\u0131z, who goes by the nickname \u201cHamu\u015f.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said the case concerns 22 incidents across 12 districts of \u0130stanbul in which three people were killed and 28 others were identified as victims or complainants.<\/p>\n
Police carried out simultaneous raids in \u0130stanbul and the provinces of Diyarbak\u0131r, D\u00fczce, Malatya, Trabzon, Tokat, \u015eanl\u0131urfa and Bitlis as part of the investigation.<\/p>\n
Thirty of the minors were subsequently put in pretrial detention, while 16 were released under judicial supervision. Prosecutors did not specify the procedural status of the remaining five.<\/p>\n
The defendants face a range of charges: membership in a criminal organization, premeditated murder and attempted murder, robbery and threats, property damage, firearms offenses and disseminating propaganda for the organization.<\/p>\n
The indictment was submitted to the Bak\u0131rk\u00f6y Juvenile High Criminal Court.<\/p>\n
The case comes amid growing concern in Turkey over armed groups recruiting teenagers and using social media and messaging platforms to promote criminal activity.<\/p>\n
An investigation published by the T24 news website this week found<\/a> that online groups linked to the Casperlar and other gangs were openly recruiting youngsters and advertising crimes through messaging platforms.<\/p>\n The new case follows an earlier indictment against minors allegedly recruited by the same gang.<\/p>\n In January prosecutors indicted<\/a> 68 minors for 41 alleged gang-related crimes committed between February 2024 and June 2025 in \u0130stanbul and the western province of \u0130zmir. Four people were killed in those incidents, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n Courts put 38 of the minors in pretrial detention and imposed judicial supervision measures on 19 others.<\/p>\n Prosecutors said the latest investigation was launched after members of the gang allegedly continued committing crimes following the filing of the earlier case.<\/p>\n The broader investigation into the Casperlar network has also resulted in an indictment<\/a> of 223 defendants, including 145 who were already in pretrial detention when the indictment was filed.<\/p>\n