A deputy from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has drawn attention to the increasing ease of access to firearms in Turkey, based on a recent inquiry with the Interior Ministry.
Minister Yerlikaya, responding to MP Ömet Fethi Gürer’s inquiry, revealed that between Jan 1, 2020, and Jun 13, 2024, authorities issued over 2.5 million firearm licenses across the country. These licenses include permits for carrying and possessing firearms, as well as permits for rifles and smoothbore long-barrel firearms.
As of June 2024, Yerlikaya also noted that 626,988 individuals held firearm carrying permits, including 306,673 public servants, 215,134 retired public servants, and 105,181 licensed professionals.
Based on the minister’s response, Gürer emphasized that the rising accessibility to firearms is fueling public anxiety around gun violence. He pointed to “numerous incidents in the media,” which he argued reflect a broader normalization of firearms in society. “The use of unlicensed firearms in incidents only deepens this issue,” Gürer stated.
He also noted a significant increase in applications for firearm licenses, suggesting that reasons for purchasing licensed firearms vary. He highlighted incidents where firearms have been drawn in routine situations, such as traffic accidents, and noted the presence of guns at celebrations like weddings, sports events, and send-offs for military conscripts, saying these examples underscore the need for preventive and deterrent measures on firearm use.
Unlicensed firearms
While the number of unlicensed guns remains unknown, “it’s widely accepted that unlicensed firearms are not few in number,” Gürer said.
Although official data on unlicensed firearms is lacking, the Umut Foundation, which monitors armed violence in Turkey, estimated that there were around 36 million unlicensed firearms in the country as of 2023. This figure is based on the calculations of the foundation about the ratio of licensed to unlicensed guns recovered by police and used in violent crimes. According to the foundation, there are approximately nine unlicensed firearms for every licensed one, suggesting that one out of two people in the country of 85 million people has access to a firearm on average.
The foundation’s 2023 report, based on news coverage of violent incidents, recorded 3,773 armed incidents across Turkey that year. These incidents resulted in 2,318 deaths and 3,820 injuries. Of the incidents, 85% involved firearms, while 15% involved knives and other sharp objects. (VK)
