77,185 gun licenses granted in 2018: Interior Ministry
ANKARA
A total of 77,185 gun licenses, including renewals, were granted nationwide in 2018, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on May 13.
Out of that number, 26,261 consisted of permits to carry a gun and 50,924 were permits to own a gun, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry.
The figure excludes security personnel that may lawfully carry guns, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry released the statistics in response to a parliamentary request by Ömer Fethi Gürer, deputy of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Overall, the ministry has granted 243,447 gun licenses as of the end of 2018. That number is a running tally that includes all licenses approved over the years.
“The figure of 273,447 gun licenses does not pertain to just last year but covers all the gun licenses that has been given in the previous years as well,” the ministry said.
