Circular Letter to Prevent Shooting in the Air at Wedding Ceremonies

* Caricature: Kürşat Zaman / Umut (Hope) Foundation, the 23rd Individual Disarmament

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The Ministry of Interior has sent a circular letter to the governorships around Turkey in order to prevent citizens from shooting in the air during ceremonies such as weddings and engagements.

As reported by CNN Türk news channel, according to the circular letter, the ones who will attend the ceremony in question will submit a letter of commitment, stating that they will not shoot in the air during the ceremony.

The circular also stipulates that an investigation shall be launched against law enforcement officers who did not intervene in the shooting incident at a ceremony even when they were not on duty or attended the event as guests.

The neighborhood and village heads (mukhtars) are also expected to inform law enforcement officers about the shooting incidents taking place at a wedding or engagement ceremony. A disciplinary proceeding will also be initiated against the civil servants who themselves shoot in the air.

According to the circular letter of the ministry, informative banners and posters will also be hung in ceremonies held in open areas. Governorships have also been entitled to issue general orders to prevent people from shooting in the air during celebrations and similar organizations.

2,187 people died due to individual armament in 2017

According to the information that Umut (Hope) Foundation compiled from the armed incident news covered by the media, 3 thousand 494 individual armament incidents occurred in 2017, marking 28 percent increase compared to the previous year. As 2 thousand 187 people were killed in these incidents, 3 thousand 529 people were injured.

According to a report by main opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu, 108 children lost their lives due to individual armament from 2011 to 2016.

"Celebration with guns"

"Celebration with guns" is not always encountered in wedding ceremonies.

At the Habipler Square in the district of Sultangazi in İstanbul, several people celebrated the results of the presidential and 27th term parliamentary elections on June 24 by firing their guns into the air.

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After the video recordings of the shooting celebrators were reported in the news, the İstanbul Security Branch Office launched an investigation.

On June 29, 2018, three people, who were identified by the licence plate of the car where they shot their guns, were taken into custody.

After the three suspects gave their depositions, a legal action was brought against them and they were released with the instruction of the Public Prosecutor's Office conducting the investigation. (BK/SD)