Bill containing regulations in the field of internal security has been accepted

The Bill on Amendments to the Law on Interior Officials and Certain Laws and Decree-Laws No. 375 has been accepted and enacted in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) General Assembly.

According to the law, a regulation regarding district governor candidates has been made, requiring candidates to have graduated from four-year faculties of international relations, political science, public administration, economics, business administration, finance, econometrics, labor economics and industrial relations, or other departments that include at least 80 percent of the curriculum of any of these departments, or from law faculties. Alternatively, they must have completed at least 4 years of undergraduate education in engineering faculties or departments of history, sociology, public relations and publicity, or psychology, or other departments that include at least 80 percent of the curriculum of any of these departments, and must have completed a master's degree with a thesis in the fields of international relations, political science, public administration, law, finance, or economics.

For those who have served as district governors for at least 3 years and are appointed to senior public administration positions by the President, or who are elected or appointed to positions in the Presidency and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, mayoralties, deputy mayoralties, secretary-general positions in metropolitan municipality organizations, or general manager positions in metropolitan municipality affiliates according to relevant legislation, their service periods in these roles will be considered as having been spent in the Administrative Services Class.

Examinations and evaluations to be conducted for the identification of first-class administrative officials will be carried out by the Ministry of Interior at most twice a year.

The Minister of Interior may award the "Police Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice," "Police Medal of Honor," or "Police Medal of Distinguished Service" to personnel of the General Directorate of Security who perform their assigned duties with courage, self-sacrifice, heroism, or superior success.

Regulations regarding the Police Care and Assistance Fund will be made in the Law on the Police Organization. Accordingly, the fund's members will consist of members of the Police Organization and those who retired while their membership was ongoing and left their participation shares in the fund.

The fund's revenues will consist of membership dues, participation shares, income derived from all kinds of investments and activities conducted for the capitalization of these dues and shares, as well as donations and aid. The membership fee will be 9 percent of the monthly amount subject to retirement deductions or the amount subject to premium earnings. Retirement assistance, disability assistance, and death benefits will be provided to members of the fund who are members of the Police Organization or to their heirs in the event of their death; for retired members, participation shares, profit shares, and death benefits will be provided.

No time limit will be sought in the records and documents granting individuals the right to possess or carry weapons gifted in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Firearms and Knives and Other Instruments. No time limit will be sought for licenses transferred to veterans and their mothers, fathers, spouses, and children, or for licenses that these individuals may acquire if no such transfer exists.

Records and documents granting individuals the right to possess or carry gifted weapons will be exempt from all kinds of taxes, duties, and fees.

Those who bring into the country, mediate the bringing into the country, manufacture outside the provisions of the law, transport from one place to another, or sell the main or ballistically significant parts of firearms—consisting of the barrel, slide, frame, receiver, cylinder, bolt head, extractor, firing pin, or striker—will be sentenced to imprisonment from 5 to 12 years and a judicial fine from 500 to 5,000 days.

The lower limit of the prison sentence for those who carry, purchase, or possess unlicensed weapons will be increased from 1 year to 2 years, and the upper limit from 3 years to 4 years. Thus, those who carry, purchase, or possess unlicensed weapons will be sentenced to imprisonment from 2 to 4 years.

In cases where the firearm, ammunition, or the main or ballistically significant parts—consisting of the barrel, slide, frame, receiver, cylinder, bolt head, extractor, firing pin, or striker—are serious in terms of number or nature, a prison sentence of 5 to 8 years and a judicial fine of 500 to 5,000 days will be imposed.

According to the amendment in the Identity Notification Law, responsible operators and managers of businesses owned by real and legal persons engaged in vehicle, ship/sea vessel rental activities will be required to keep the information of rented vehicles, the identity information of those renting the vehicle, ship, or sea vessel, and the rental contract, along with all related information, documents, and records, properly on a computer. They must keep them ready for inspection by general law enforcement forces at any time, connect computer terminals to the computer terminals of general law enforcement forces, report the information of the person renting and the rented vehicle to general law enforcement forces instantly via the system at the time of vehicle delivery, and keep a GPS device (global satellite navigation system) in rented vehicles and store the location information records of the vehicles for 3 years.

An administrative fine of 99,896 liras will be imposed by administrative authorities on those who do not keep information, documents, and records on a computer, do not connect computer terminals to the computer terminals of general law enforcement forces, keep false records or provide false information, do not keep a GPS device (global satellite navigation system) in rented vehicles, or do not store location information records of the vehicles. An administrative fine of 49,938 liras will be imposed on those who do not keep the relevant information, documents, and records ready for inspection by general law enforcement forces, or do not report the information of the person renting and the rented vehicle to general law enforcement forces instantly via the system before the vehicle is delivered.