Mike
Site Co-Founder
imported post
More evidence that international interest in gun rights is rising.
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http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=a-8216world8217-of-guns-and-then-some-2010-04-11
SNIP
Turkish gun shops go from back alley to mall
Ebru R. Tekin is executive director at a firm seeking to make gun stores mainstream by establishing malls to cater to gun lovers.
. . .
A glitzy gun shop visible from the mall food court would have been a rare sight in Turkey until recently, as guns were mostly sold at small establishments tucked away in back alleys or industrial neighborhoods.
The vast Silah Dünyası (Gun World) stores, however, are designed to attract attention.
The first chain store in Turkey to specialize in guns, security devices and hunting and hobby equipment, Gun World was founded in 2003. It currently has two locations in Istanbul, but also plans to expand into Ankara, Bursa and İzmir.
. . .
According to Tekin, company founder Okan Arsan saw a gap in the sector that was forcing higher-class shoppers to go abroad in order to buy guns. Gun World sees it as its mission to better the image of gun use in Turkey, the firm’s executive director said.
“Instead of shooting outdoors irresponsibly, our customers can use our shooting range and benefit from the training we offer in a secure environment without hurting anybody,” Tekin added.
. . .
Gun laws in Turkey
In general, Turkish law divides firearms into two categories. Rifles and handguns have spiral grooves in their barrels, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis. This spin serves to stabilize the projectile gyroscopically, improving its aerodynamic stability and accuracy. Shotguns, however, are simpler; they are generally smoothbore firearms, meaning that the inside of the barrels are not rifled, so there is a shorter range and less accuracy.
Because of all the complexities of gun ownership, Gun World employs two lawyers on staff simply to offer advice to customers, the company said.
All Turkish citizens over the age of 25 have the right to buy and possess firearms, though criteria vary; regulations are different, for example, depending on whether the prospective buyer is working, retired or an active civil servant and what he or she intends to do with the weapon.
Foreigners with residence or work permits in Turkey also have the right to buy rifles and handguns if they fit certain criteria.
A shotgun is the easiest type of gun to obtain; Turkish citizens must be over 18 and have no criminal record, while foreigners simply need a valid passport.
According to Tekin, 80 percent to 90 percent of gun crimes in Turkey are committed with unregistered firearms. She criticized the bureaucratic process required to legally acquire a gun license, saying that the red tape encourages people to obtain unlicensed guns that are cheaper and faster to purchase.
. . .
It is a man’s world, but...
On the subject of women and guns, Tekin said Gun World also has female customers, but “women like to arm themselves more for the aim of defense.”
Women generally come to the store and the shooting range with their husbands; few visit on their own, she added, noting that she herself had little involvement with weaponry before she was hired for the job, although she occasionally hunted with her father.
“[Women] come alone when they are buying a Valentine’s Day or birthday gift for their husbands or boyfriends, but we are a bit of a men’s store; to tell you the truth,” she said. “Eighty percent of the customer profile consists of men.”
The sector as a whole is dominated by men, she added. “I attended a dealers’ meeting recently and was the only woman among 15 men,” Tekin said, noting that people are sometimes surprised to see a woman in her position.
“Actually, I can feel that they perceive me in a ‘what is a woman doing here?’ kind of way; I can feel that,” she said. “However, Turkey is changing, one must get used to that. Women are everywhere now.”
. . .
More evidence that international interest in gun rights is rising.
---
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=a-8216world8217-of-guns-and-then-some-2010-04-11
SNIP
Turkish gun shops go from back alley to mall
Ebru R. Tekin is executive director at a firm seeking to make gun stores mainstream by establishing malls to cater to gun lovers.
. . .
A glitzy gun shop visible from the mall food court would have been a rare sight in Turkey until recently, as guns were mostly sold at small establishments tucked away in back alleys or industrial neighborhoods.
The vast Silah Dünyası (Gun World) stores, however, are designed to attract attention.
The first chain store in Turkey to specialize in guns, security devices and hunting and hobby equipment, Gun World was founded in 2003. It currently has two locations in Istanbul, but also plans to expand into Ankara, Bursa and İzmir.
. . .
According to Tekin, company founder Okan Arsan saw a gap in the sector that was forcing higher-class shoppers to go abroad in order to buy guns. Gun World sees it as its mission to better the image of gun use in Turkey, the firm’s executive director said.
“Instead of shooting outdoors irresponsibly, our customers can use our shooting range and benefit from the training we offer in a secure environment without hurting anybody,” Tekin added.
. . .
Gun laws in Turkey
In general, Turkish law divides firearms into two categories. Rifles and handguns have spiral grooves in their barrels, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis. This spin serves to stabilize the projectile gyroscopically, improving its aerodynamic stability and accuracy. Shotguns, however, are simpler; they are generally smoothbore firearms, meaning that the inside of the barrels are not rifled, so there is a shorter range and less accuracy.
Because of all the complexities of gun ownership, Gun World employs two lawyers on staff simply to offer advice to customers, the company said.
All Turkish citizens over the age of 25 have the right to buy and possess firearms, though criteria vary; regulations are different, for example, depending on whether the prospective buyer is working, retired or an active civil servant and what he or she intends to do with the weapon.
Foreigners with residence or work permits in Turkey also have the right to buy rifles and handguns if they fit certain criteria.
A shotgun is the easiest type of gun to obtain; Turkish citizens must be over 18 and have no criminal record, while foreigners simply need a valid passport.
According to Tekin, 80 percent to 90 percent of gun crimes in Turkey are committed with unregistered firearms. She criticized the bureaucratic process required to legally acquire a gun license, saying that the red tape encourages people to obtain unlicensed guns that are cheaper and faster to purchase.
. . .
It is a man’s world, but...
On the subject of women and guns, Tekin said Gun World also has female customers, but “women like to arm themselves more for the aim of defense.”
Women generally come to the store and the shooting range with their husbands; few visit on their own, she added, noting that she herself had little involvement with weaponry before she was hired for the job, although she occasionally hunted with her father.
“[Women] come alone when they are buying a Valentine’s Day or birthday gift for their husbands or boyfriends, but we are a bit of a men’s store; to tell you the truth,” she said. “Eighty percent of the customer profile consists of men.”
The sector as a whole is dominated by men, she added. “I attended a dealers’ meeting recently and was the only woman among 15 men,” Tekin said, noting that people are sometimes surprised to see a woman in her position.
“Actually, I can feel that they perceive me in a ‘what is a woman doing here?’ kind of way; I can feel that,” she said. “However, Turkey is changing, one must get used to that. Women are everywhere now.”
. . .
