"The penalty for using unauthorized flashing lights is being increased to 96,000 TL."

In the meeting of the Interior Affairs Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), the bill proposing an increase in administrative fines for the use of "unauthorized flashing lights" on unlicensed weapons and vehicles was accepted after approximately 10 hours of discussions. The bill titled 'Law on the Amendment of the Law on Internal Affairs Officers and Some Laws and Decree Law No. 375' will be discussed in the TBMM General Assembly in the coming days. After the deputies expressed their views and suggestions on the entire bill during the commission meeting, the articles of the proposal were addressed.

The proposal will redefine the procedures and principles for the admission of district governor candidates; the implementation procedures and principles regarding the admission of district governor candidates will be included in the regulation issued by the Ministry of Interior, and the service periods of the administrative authorities in the affiliated institutions of the Ministry of Interior will be included in the calculation of the service period in the Class of Administrative Services. With the third article of the proposal regulating the eighth article of Law No. 1700, it will be stipulated who will be appointed as civil inspectors and that the inspection, control, examination, research, and investigation duties will be carried out by civil inspectors, and their authorities will be regulated.

PREVENTION OF CONVERTING BLANK FIREARMS INTO REAL WEAPONS

With the 7th, 11th, and 12th articles of the proposal, parts of firearms that have primary or ballistic significance will be included; effective measures will be taken against the illegal importation, production, sale, purchase, transportation, or possession of these parts, preventing blank firearms from being converted into real weapons, and the nature and value of the real estate that will be the basis for granting short-term residence permits will be regulated in the commission. With the 32nd article of the proposal, the nature and value of the real estate that will be the basis for granting short-term residence permits will be determined by the Ministry, aiming to eliminate confusion and ensure that cases regarding the rejection or cancellation of short-term residence permits are resolved quickly, reducing the workload of the courts, and preventing public damage in terms of attorney fees. The 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd, and 43rd articles regulate the working conditions, duties, and authorities of neighborhood watchmen. With the 42nd article, it will be allowed for watchmen to conduct external checks on individuals if there is sufficient suspicion regarding the presence of an item that could endanger lives, and they will be able to inspect the parts of vehicles that are visible from the outside.

TWO ARTICLES WERE ADDED TO THE PROPOSAL

With the amendment proposal submitted by AK Party deputies to be added after the 5th article of the proposal, the following article was added:

"In the first paragraph of Article 86 of the Law on the Organization of the Security Forces dated 4/6/1937 and numbered 3201, the phrase 'Law No. 1475 on Cash Compensation' has been changed to 'Law No. 2330 on Cash Compensation and Monthly Payments', and the following paragraph has been added after the first paragraph, the first sentence of the existing second paragraph has been repealed, and the phrase 'medal and' has been added after the phrase 'given' in the existing third paragraph. 'Medals may be awarded by the Minister of Interior to personnel of the General Directorate of Security who perform their assigned duties with courage, sacrifice, heroism, or outstanding success: Medal of Superior Courage and Sacrifice, Honor Medal of Security, Medal of Superior Service of Security.'

Following the 18th article of the proposal, the following article was added again with the amendment proposal submitted by AK Party deputies:

"The second paragraph of the additional 10th article of the Law on the Coast Guard Command numbered 2692 has been amended as follows, and the phrase 'personnel in the status of non-commissioned officer and contracted non-commissioned officer' in the fourth paragraph has been changed to 'non-commissioned officers, contracted non-commissioned officers, and students and their candidates'. Those who are subject to compulsory service under the provisions of the first paragraph, those who resign, or those whose contracts are terminated for any reason other than health will pay twice the costs of education, training, and preparation incurred after being appointed as students, officers, and/or non-commissioned officers as determined by the Coast Guard Command, and those whose contracts are terminated under the provisions of Article 21 of this Law and those dismissed from the profession or public service under the Decree Law on the Acceptance of the Law on General Law Enforcement Disciplinary Provisions dated 31/1/2018 will pay four times the determined costs in proportion to the remaining period of their obligations along with legal interest as compensation."