The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) tabled a new draft bill on Monday in a bid to decrease the availability of unlicensed guns and people exploiting emergency vehicle lighting regulations.
The 46-article bill presented to Parliament aims to end the “sense of impunity” in offenses related to those two issues, the party’s parliamentary group chair, Abdullah Güler, told reporters in Ankara.
Fines for possession and use of unlicensed guns will be increased under the bill, while new regulations will be implemented for smuggling and exports of materials used in firearms. Owners of licensed guns will be allowed to license one firearm only if they lose their firearm a second time.
For unauthorized use of strobe lights allocated for emergency vehicles, fines will be increased to TL 96,000 ($2,795) from TL 6,439 and to TL 196,000 in the second instance of the offense. Vehicles illegally using such lights will be confiscated permanently. Emergency lights are allocated for a wide array of public services, particularly security forces, but the use of lights outside emergency duty is illegal.
The bill also includes a faster process for deportations. Güler said it will accelerate trials over the rejection or cancellation of short-term residence permits for foreigners and deportation of irregular migrants illegally entering the country.
Türkiye has been the main destination for refugees and irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe. Every year, hundreds of thousands of migrants flee civil conflict or economic hardship in their home countries with the hope of reaching Europe. Some migrants make dangerous journeys over land or sea with the assistance of smugglers, who often abandon them, especially during sea journeys, after receiving thousands of dollars from each migrant. Others are stopped by Turkish security forces before crossing the border into Europe.
The latest statistics, between 2010 and 2023, show Türkiye rescued 184,175 irregular migrants from its seas after they put their lives in danger with the hope of reaching Europe. Some 923 migrants, on the other hand, ended up dead on perilous journeys in the same period, while 503 people remain unaccounted for after their boats sank.
Türkiye recently took new measures at its borders to prevent a fresh influx of migrants, balancing a humanitarian policy and the need to stop thousands from risking their lives, such as regular checks of foreigners in places with high concentrations of migrants.
