The Mayor of Kyrenia called the rise in gun licenses a sign of a systemic crisis

Kyrenia Mayor Murat Şenkul made a sharp critical statement regarding the issuance of firearm permits, calling the current situation a “confession of collapse.”

He addressed the public through social media, ironically suggesting to increase the number of issued permits from the “good, but insufficient” 600 to 6000, so that citizens themselves could ensure their own safety in the face of growing criminal pressure.

Şenkul emphasizes that it is not the very existence of permits that worries him, but the helplessness of people forced to seek weapons to protect themselves: “It is misunderstood: it is not about people wanting to defend themselves, but about us leaving them with no way out,” he explained.

Then the mayor asks the key question: “Why do our people need gun licenses?” — and asserts that these 600 permits are a “confession of collapse” of the current system.

In his reasoning, Şenkul links the increase in permits to misguided state policies. He accuses the authorities of encouraging money laundering through legislation and tax mechanisms, making the country attractive to criminal groups. Later this control was lost, and “here is your permit — let everyone fend for themselves.”

He raises rhetorical questions: “Are shootings and firearm incidents happening aimlessly?” — reminding that “a bullet doesn’t ask for an address” and strikes unexpectedly.

This is followed by criticism of the issuance of anonymous weapon permits signed by nameless officials, as well as the claim that the government has lost touch with the real problems of society. According to him, it is time to “sober up” and realize that the current situation is the result of accumulated mistakes and detachment from the people.

Şenkul ends his message with a call for change: he refuses to be part of the system that allowed the crisis, and urges citizens to do the same — otherwise, the current situation will become a heavy legacy for both ancestors and future generations.