Mansur ÇELİK
Three among members of the Firearms Subcommittee debating the Draft Law about Firearms and lowering the age for the acquisition of shotgun license to 18 are revealed to own lots of guns. Two members of Ak Party and 1 member of MHP at the committee own 9 guns and 2 rifles.
The three members -2 from Ak Party and one from MHP- of 5-member Firearms Subcommittee established within the Turkish Grand National Assembly Internal Affairs Commission are reported to have 9 guns and 2 rifles.
The Draft Law about Firearms currently on the agenda of the Internal Affairs Commission was amended and enforced at the Firearms Subcommittee. At the Subcommittee chaired by Ak Party Deputy Selami Uzun from Sivas, Ak Party Deputy Hasan Altan from Kastamonu, Ak Party Deputy Emin Nedim Ozturk from Eskisehir, MHP Deputy Hasan Ozdemir from Gaziantep and CHP Deputy Hulusi Guvel from Adana served/ Uzun from Ak Party owns 3 guns and 1 rifle, Altan owns 2 guns and Ozdemir from MHP owns 4 guns and 1 rifle/ On the other hand, Ozturk from Ak Party is reported to have handed over his 2 guns.
`Yes, I have 4 arms, 2 are my personal arms and 2 others are gifts. So what?... there are deputies who have 40 arms" said Ozdemir. He also added that arms are always dangerous. Guvel from CHP who is the unique member of the subcommittee without any arm stated that he has neither arm license nor gun and rifle/ At the subcommittee, lowering legal age to get shotgun license from 21 to 18 was remarkable too. The fact that the pump rifles specified within the scope of shotguns in the legislation may thus be acquired easily sparked a new discussion. Some deputies owning guns expressed that "citizens may be obliged to have 2 guns, one snubnosed revolver and the other more effective in the long range."
(milliyet.com.tr, February 22, 2010)