Shot Gold Coast Rebel Gokhan Turkyilmaz celebrates release from hospital with beers

A Gold Coast bikie shot eight times earlier this week sipped beers and taunted his attackers while a bikie war threatened to explode around him.

AS a bikie war threatened to explode around him yesterday, gunshot victim Gokhan Turkyilmaz was sipping beers and taunting his attackers.

The former MMA fighter turned fully patched member of the Rebels motorcycle gang was released from hospital yesterday afternoon after undergoing surgery on wounds suffered when he was shot up to eight times in the front yard of his Upper Coomera home.

Moments after walking from hospital, he was drinking Coronas.

But while Turkyilmaz, 33, drank beer and taunted his attackers by posting to social media “I’ve had harder sparring sessions’’, referring to the shooting, fellow Rebels member and president of the North Brisbane chapter, “Little’’ Mick Kosenko, was sifting through the ashes of his tattoo studio.

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The business, in north Brisbane, had been firebombed overnight Thursday in what was thought to be a revenge attack by the Bandidos for another shooting incident last month at a busy Logan shopping centre.

As tensions between the Rebels and Bandidos threatened to reach fever pitch yesterday, detectives were still on the hunt for those responsible for shooting Turkyilmaz and for the firebombing.

A police source told the Bulletin investigations were ongoing but officers believed all of the incidents were linked to growing tension between the gangs.

“There’s staff from Taskforce Maxima working both jobs (the shooting and the firebombing), they’re still trying to work out who was responsible for the shooting, although there are persons of interest in the case,” the source said.

Police on the scene at Kumnick Street, Upper Coomera where there was a shooting last night involving a Rebels bikie Gokhan Turkyilmaz. Pics Adam Head

Detectives spent the back end of the week rounding up people allegedly involved in the shooting at Logan, including Emrah Turkyilmaz, brother of shooting victim Gokhan, as well as another man, Tae-Ook Kim. Both have links to the Rebels.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington waged her own war against the State Labor Government, accusing it of having gone soft on bikies.

“(Premier) Annastacia Palaszczuk has her head in the sand about criminal bikie gangs,” Ms Frecklington said.

“It is clear a bikie turf war is raging on our streets and Annastacia Palaszczuk’s meaningless platitudes won’t keep Queenslanders safe.

“My number one concern is the impact on community safety. I don’t want innocent Queenslanders caught in the crossfire because of Labor’s soft laws.

“The LNP introduced the toughest laws in the nation and we got results. Bikies left the state and crime rates dramatically reduced.

“Now under Labor the bikies are back with a vengeance.”

police at the scene at Kumnick Street, Upper Coomera where there was a shooting last night involving a Rebels bikie Gokhan Turkyilmaz. Pics Adam Head

Detective Chief Superintendent Charysse Pond tried to allay fears, saying the violence was the work of a “specific group” and the public was safe.

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“I’m not surprised by this violence, we’ve seen it before,” Det Chief Sup Pond said.

Although Det Sup Pond acknowledged the incidents between Rebels and Bandidos had “escalated” in recent weeks, she was confident the factions were not meeting in public.

Asked how many bikies were involved in the dispute, Det Sup Pond would not comment.

She also would not comment on whether there was a risk of further incidents, or whether police had boosted resources to combat the violence.

“We are committed to stopping this targeted violence,” Det Sup Pond said.