Crackdown on unlicensed guns leads to dozens of arrests

ISTANBUL

Following new directives from the chief public prosecutor’s office in Istanbul, authorities have initiated a crackdown on unlicensed firearms, leading to the arrest of nearly 80 people.

"Around 97 percent of crimes involving firearms in Türkiye are committed with unlicensed weapons," Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek told daily Milliyet on Oct. 28.

He said the increased arrests are aimed at reducing the public’s access to illegal weapons, which are increasingly used in violent incidents across the country.

Timur Demirbaş, a law professor at the western city of İzmir's Yaşar University, praised the policy, calling it a “hopeful” move.

"Unlicensed weapons are on the rise, and with them, a surge in related crimes," he said, noting that the recent societal discussions on impunity may have also influenced the decision. "The crackdown is significant in the fight against criminal activity."

Fatal incidents involving unlicensed weapons have drawn national attention, with several high-profile cases underscoring the dangers posed by them.

In Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, school principal İbrahim Oktugan was killed by a student wielding an unlicensed gun. Just months earlier, the suspect had been detained with an illegal weapon but was later released.

Another case involved the killing of police officer Cihat Ermiş by 20-year-old Muhammet Berke Çorak, who also used an unlicensed firearm.

Additional incidents in Istanbul and İzmir have involved family members being fatally shot by relatives, all with unlicensed guns.

Data from the Umut Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing gun violence, recorded 3,773 incidents of armed violence across the country in 2023, resulting in 2,318 deaths and 3,820 injuries.

The foundation estimates that of the roughly 40 million guns in Türkiye, 36 million are unlicensed.

Meanwhile, Istanbul Bilgi University academic Adem Sözüer voiced concerns over the reliance on arrest as a crime prevention tool.

"The penalty for an unlicensed firearm is currently one to three years in prison,” he said. “While the intention is good, arrest alone is not an appropriate or effective measure for preventing crime."