Gun violence in Turkey increased by 75 percent in last seven years: Report

Gun violence in Turkey has increased by 75 percent within the last seven years, according to a report released by the Umut Foundation, which carries out studies for the prevention of individual armament. The foundation said that out of 25 million guns in Turkey, 90 percent are unregistered.

Friday February 11 2022 01:14 pm

This file photo shows a banner reading 'No to Individual Armament.'

Duvar English

Incidents of gun violence in Turkey saw an increase of 75 percent between 2015 and 2021, according to a report published by the Umut (Hope) Foundation, which carries out studies for the prevention of individual armament.

According to the foundation's figures, incidents of armed violence saw an increase of 12.5 percent in 2021, compared to 2020.

The research also included regions in Turkey where armed violence was most common. As every year, the Marmara Region, which has the highest population density, took the lead with 985 armed violence incidents in 2021.

The region where gun violence increased the most with 21 percent in a year was the Mediterranean with 551 incidents of violence. In the Aegean (492) and Central Anatolia (507) regions, there was a 6 percent decrease compared to the previous year.

The province where the armed incidents took place the most was Istanbul with 447 cases in 2021.

Hope Foundation Board Member and psychiatrist Dr. Ayhan Akcan told Voice of America's Turkish service that there are currently nearly 25 million guns in Turkey and 90 percent of them are unregistered.

Akcan said that the law against unregistered weapons is not applied strictly and that the foundation's demand is that the state prohibits all citizens from acquiring guns, except for the police and gendarmerie.

He said that 600-800 people die every year with a bullet shot into the air in Turkey, and that guns are used in 20 percent of incidents of violence against women.