Gun ban for domestic violence culprits

The Turkish Parliament approved a new regulation on Thursday that brings in a gun ban for perpetrators of domestic violence.
Suspects in such cases, who were slapped with a restraining order, will be mandated to hand over their guns to the authorities and their gun licenses will not be renewed. They will also be denied access to hunting rifles and other easy-to-obtain firearms.

Another regulation approved by Parliament orders a ban on new gun licenses for people convicted of crimes against the state and crimes under the anti-terrorism law, even if they are pardoned.

Domestic violence and the murder of women by their husbands, partners or relatives have long been a thorn in Turkey's side, where broader media coverage in recent years has made this scar on society even more visible.
The Family and Social Affairs Ministry has been taking action to tackle the problem by providing education courses, raising public awareness and empowering women, as more economic independence helps more women, who fear divorce from violent spouses would deprive them of a steady income.