* Photo: Güven Yılmaz / AA
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The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Planning and Budget Commission has convened to discuss and set the Budget for 2020.
Speaking at the Commission, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Niğde MP Ömer Fethi Gürer has raised concerns over the firearms used for recreational purposes and individual armament.
Gürer has indicated that between January 1, 2018 amd September 1, 2018, 35 people lost their lives and 600 citizens were wounded after being hit by bullets fired into the air. Gürer has added that 311 children were also wounded within the indicated time period.
Indicating that Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu warned the governors and security officers about the issue with a decree on October 24, 2018, Gürer has said, "Dear Minister, you demanded that precautions be increased and the results of operations in April, August and December 2019 be reported. Firearms were used in the weddings and celebrations that I attended in different provinces, even after elections."
Soylu: Our rate of intervention has increased
Taking the floor after Gürer, Minister Soylu has indicated, "The incidents of arbitrarily firing of guns... I was asked, 'You issued a decree, did it do any good?' Let me answer this question."
"In 2016, the number of victims was 422; in 2017, it was 301; in 2018, it was 382 and in the first 10 months of 2019, the number of victims is 253. In the meanwhile, our rate of intervention has also increased further; that is, our sensibility and rate of intervention have increased more."
Gürer: 3,028 incidents of willful killing in 2 years
CHP MP Gürer has then raised concerns over individual armament and asked Minister Soylu the following questions:
"As of 2016-2018 October, 3,028 incidents of willful killing and 20,324 incidents of wilful wounding took place with registered and unregistered guns. What is their distribution by registered and unregistered guns? What is the distribution of gun licences granted after the governors are authorized to grant gun licenses? How many gun licenses have been distributed by governors and what is their distribution by provinces?"
Soylu: 112 thousand gun licenses granted this year
Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu has answered this question as follows:
"The number of gun licenses annually granted in the jurisdiction of the police and gendarmerie in the last five years... There is a saying: 'Armament in Turkey has gone through the roof, everyone is getting armed.' Now, I will give an answer to that: In 2015, a total of 139 thousand 436 gun licenses were given; in 2016, 123 thousand licenses were granted; in 2017, 156 thousand licenses were granted; in 2018, 159 thousand licenses were granted; and - attention - 112 thousand licenses have been granted this year." (HA/SD)
