Discount Bullet Gesture Backfires

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 January 2019)


Equal opportunity mayhem - cheaper bullets so even poor 
people can kill each other.

The message from state company MKEK (Makine Kimya Endüstri
Kurumu/Machine Chemical Industry Council) that it has reduced the
price for bullets in a gesture toward national harmony (!) has
backfired.  Dr. Ayhan Akcan of  the Umut Foundation, which lobbies
against individuals arming themselves, criticized MKEK's 'gesture'.

Dr. Akcan, who is a psychiatrist, asserted that "the state's primary duty
is to provide for the safety of the population.  So it is absolutely wrong
to promote bullets, which disrupt public welfare.  These kinds of
actions are generally initiated by low-level bureaucrats, who look at
the commercial benefits and forget the social aspect.  On the contrary,
we are in favor of limiting guns because gun-related violence in
Turkey increases every year.  MKEK's action should be rescinded
immediately and it should apologize to the public.  Are we at war?!
Do we need to sell cheaper bullets!?"

MKEK responded by explaining that the bullet discount was aimed
at joining in the government's anti-inflation campaign and that the
phrase "hayırlı olsun" (may it be a blessing) included in its
announcement should be evaluated in this context. 

MKEK had announced the reduction in  the prices of bullets this
way: "Our organization, which is the bedrock of the defense industry,
is happy to be at the side of our citizens.  In order to support the
"Campaign Against Inflation" initiated by the Minister of Finance
and Treasury Berat Albayrak, we have reduced the price of bullets
we produce nationally and locally by 7.5%, as of  7 January 2019.
May this be a blessing for our nation."


                       Blessed are the guns and bullets...