Istanbul prosecutors have sharply intensified enforcement against the possession and use of unregistered firearms, as Türkiye grapples with a broader surge in individual gun ownership that officials say is now driving the overwhelming majority of armed crimes nationwide.
In Istanbul, 5,774 people were processed for carrying or using unlicensed weapons in a year, according to official data. Of these, 4,319 suspects were formally arrested, while investigations into roughly 900 additional cases remain ongoing.
This surge in arrests follows a directive issued last year by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek, instructing prosecutors to seek an arrest for anyone caught with an unregistered firearm.
When the Istanbul directive was first issued, carrying an unlicensed firearm under the law was punishable by one to three years in prison.
Under the ninth judicial reform package, adopted last November, the sentence now stands at two to four years, a change aimed at boosting deterrence.
Prosecutors say courts have largely supported the new enforcement stance, approving most arrest requests sent to them. Officials also emphasize that investigations extend beyond individual carriers to include those facilitating illegal gun sales.
The accessibility of firearms has emboldened youth involvement in violent incidents, with a number of high-profile cases in Istanbul highlighting the alarming trend.
In August, the suspected killer of a former sports club president turned out to be a 17-year-old, while a 14-year-old fatally shot a 20-year-old man in a street dispute thought to be linked to gang activity.
The issue extends beyond Istanbul.
Across Türkiye, unregistered firearms have become increasingly embedded in daily life — appearing in street disputes, domestic violence incidents, wedding celebrations and, more recently, the activities of neighborhood gangs and organized crime groups.
Security sources say more than 90 percent of gun‑related offenses involve unlicensed weapons, many of which are sold through social media platforms or other informal channels.
