Individual armament is increasing… Weapons that have turned into toys in the hands of the dwarves disregard the lives of innocent people!
Now, even in the slightest argument, it is not considered abnormal for weapons to talk, and bullets often cost the lives of innocent citizens.
It is significant that the draft law prepared 2 years ago on individual armament, which has become a growing danger, has not yet entered the agenda of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey!
Murders, injuries and violence caused by individual armament have increased considerably recently. According to the data obtained, while there are 25 million unlicensed guns in Turkey, the number of licensed guns in our country has reached 2.5 million, according to the data of the Ministry of Interior. In the first 9 months of 2022, there were 2,884 violent incidents involving firearms, which became toys in the hands of mobsters playing mafia.
In the incidents in which 1,595 people died and 3,132 people were injured, unregistered weapons were used as well as licensed weapons. Most of the time, innocent citizens were harmed due to randomly opened fires and bouncing bullets in clashes that did not look like mafia movies, especially in big cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Adana and Samsun.
DRAFT INDIVIDUAL ARMAMENTS DID NOT COME TO THE PARLIAMENT FOR TWO YEARS
According to the data of the Ministry of Interior, the number of licensed guns in our country has reached 2.5 million. In the first 9 months of 2022, unregistered weapons were used as well as licensed weapons in 2,884 incidents of violence involving firearms.
Expressing that individual armament is increasing day by day, Umut Foundation Board Member Dr. Ayhan Akcan, "60 percent of the gun licenses are given for the protection of the citizens against wildlife in the countryside. And 40 percent think that 'I will record it, it will be a deterrent'. At this point, the situation is not quite like that. The state also wants to prevent the problem of individual armament, but a bill prepared 2 years ago on the subject still could not enter the agenda of the Parliament. At this point, the increase in armed violence shows that it is no longer possible to remain silent on this issue," he said.
“EASY ACCESS TO THE WEAPON”
Ayhan Akcan, reminding the causes of violence involving firearms, "The main issue in individual armament is that the weapon is easily accessible in a time of tension. For this, obtaining licenses to possess and carry weapons should be made more difficult. For example, obligatory spouse consent in the application for a license to keep a gun at home, requesting a comprehensive health report or introducing a long waiting period to obtain a license may be solutions," he added.
“PENALTIES ARE NOT A DETERMINANT”
Emphasizing that the state should bring a new regulation on individual armament, Ayhan Akcan said, "Penalties for armed violence are also not a deterrent. For example, we used to have a problem such as blank guns, but with a regulation made in 2011, the issue was resolved. After the regulation, the serious penalties for carrying and using blank guns helped to solve the problem. Currently, unregistered weapons are more of a problem than licensed weapons. According to our findings, there is a serious increase in the use of unlicensed weapons, and the number of incidents of armed violence reflected in the press tells everything. Penalties for unregistered weapons have been increased, but not enough. Efforts should be made for a comprehensive regulation that addresses every aspect of individual armament."