Ministry working on stricter penalties over unlicensed arms

ANKARA

The Interior Ministry is working on a legislative amendment envisaging an increase in penalties for individuals carrying unlicensed firearms and will soon submit it to the parliament, Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced.

"Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 51,914 unlicensed firearms were seized nationwide. We need to reassess the penalties related to unlicensed firearms. We are being prepared for this. We will present our proposal to you in the near future," Yerlikaya told the members of the parliament during a budget talk on Nov. 9.

Stressing his commitment to combating organized crime groups since taking office in June, Yerlikaya also voiced his opposition to individual armament.

Providing information on the latest figures of refugees in the country, the minister stated that as of Nov. 9, the number of Syrian nationals who acquired Turkish citizenship was 237,995, with 156,987 being over the age of 18.

"The children of Syrian families under temporary protection in Türkiye remain under temporary protection. They are absolutely not granted citizenship and will not be granted," Yerlikaya said.

Noting that 28,734 Afghan citizens returned to their country in the first 10 months of 2023, Yerlikaya said that an additional 1,788 Afghan citizens are scheduled for deportation in the coming week through nine charter flights.

Additionally, the minister disclosed the successful dismantling of a drug network, led by Jamukhan Ulus, resulting in the arrest of 210 suspects.

In the meantime, Yerlikaya announced on Nov. 10 in a social media post that Istanbul police apprehended Dritan Rexhepi, the leader of an international drug cartel "Kompanio Bello," wanted with a red notice for drug shipments from South America to Europe.

"Our determination in the fight against drug traffickers and organized crime will continue to increase," Yerlikaya said in his post.

With approximately 36 million unlicensed guns in Türkiye, incidents of armed violence increase by 5 percent every year, said psychiatrist Ayhan Akcan, a member of the Umut Foundation, an NGO aiming to raise awareness about individual armament. Akcan earlier pointed out that one out of every three households has a gun, and one in every two people possesses a gun.