Türkiye to require steel gun safes for firearm license holders

ANKARA

Türkiye plans to introduce a mandatory steel safe requirement for people seeking firearm licenses as part of measures to prevent school shootings, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi has said.

Çiftçi said the proposed regulation aims to prevent children from accessing firearms legally owned by their families, following a series of deadly school shootings, including in the southeastern provinces of Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş during the second semester of the 2025-2026 academic year.

“We will make it mandatory for people to whom we issue firearm licenses to have a steel safe. Those who own guns should keep them secured in a safe, out of children’s reach,” he said, adding that the government was preparing amendments to the laws and regulations governing firearms and knives.

Citing Germany as an example, Çiftçi said authorities there inspect how licensed firearms are stored in homes before granting permits.

The minister also said security measures at schools had been strengthened through cooperation between the interior and education ministries. The two ministries had conducted a four-month review of existing measures following the attacks, he said.

A protocol signed by seven ministries remains in force, while an Interior Ministry directive has instructed provincial authorities to step up school security. Çiftçi said approximately 611 inspectors, including police, gendarmerie and education ministry officials, were conducting field inspections to identify security gaps and ensure that all necessary precautions were in place.