The risk of individual armament is rising! Women and children are under threat...
The culture of violence and the associated rise in individual armament are increasing in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul. Every year, dozens of citizens become targets of stray bullets, leading to the deaths and injuries of many others.
Melik Çelik
Melik ÇELİK- 12punto.com.tr
On Sunday, October 29, around 11:00 PM, four unidentified individuals fired 10 to 15 shots in the vicinity of Tezgahçılar and Refah streets in the Zeyrek neighborhood of Istanbul's Fatih district. The reckless gunmen caused moments of terror for the citizens in the area.
Two bullets struck a coffeehouse located on Refah Street, and eyewitnesses described it as a miracle that no one was hit by the gunfire.
On Tezgahçılar Street, five bullets hit a kebab shop. The shop owner stated that the business was closed at the time of the incident. The owner noted that it was a miracle for them that they were not there when the incident occurred.
Police officers who conducted an investigation at the scene took statements from eyewitnesses. Security forces are currently reviewing security camera footage, and the search for the suspects is ongoing.
ARMAMENT HAS INCREASED BY 100 PERCENT
According to data from the Gendarmerie General Command, the number of licenses issued increased by over 100 percent between 2018 and 2021. The number of people who received a gun possession license in 2018 rose to 7,630. By 2021, this figure had reached 16,056.
A GREAT DANGER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
While individual armament negatively affects all citizens, children and women are the most at risk. According to Ministry of Justice data, the rate of children being dragged into crime increased by 131 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year.
FEMICIDES
Most femicides in Turkey are committed with firearms, and individual armament poses a major danger to women and children in society. Furthermore, in 2022, thousands of children appeared before judges as defendants for possessing weapons.