Four men associated with a gang have been found guilty in relation to the murder of a DJ. This incident took place in Tottenham, a crime-ridden area in north London that has strong ties to its local football club, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. The club’s futuristic £1.2 billion stadium stands out in the area, much like an alien spaceship that has just landed. Across the road from the main thoroughfare through Tottenham, Tottenham High Road, is the Stadium Lounge, a popular spot for fans to gather before and after home games.
The Stadium Lounge was at the center of a gruesome crime involving the torture and killing of 43-year old DJ, Koray Alpergin. Alpergin was well-known within the 600,000-member Turkish and Kurdish community in north London. The gang responsible for the murder was the Tottenham Turks, and two men linked to this gang were found guilty of manslaughter, while two others were convicted of kidnap or false imprisonment.
The community’s reluctance to speak up is due to a fear of retribution and the fact that much of the crime goes unreported, as claimed by an anonymous source and a serving police officer. Another source stated that the Turkish underworld operates mainly under the guidance of those in other countries, with those who are arrested consisting mainly of minor players.
In October 2022, a Turkish woman who had been held captive for two days in the Stadium Lounge was rescued, and it was revealed that she was originally abducted alongside Alpergin. The incident also unveiled ties to previous disputes within the Turkish and Kurdish communities in north London, resulting in dozens of killings. The strong links between black and Turkish criminals led to black people being used as hitmen. Despite these incidents, Alpergin was widely known within the community, having worked at a pirate radio station known as Bizim FM. He was a much-loved figure in the community and his murder has had a profound impact.