Interview: Intricate relations between U.S. politicians, gun lobbies make gun violence unsolved, says expert

ISTANBUL, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The intricate relationship between U.S. politicians and gun lobbies stands as an impenetrable block for effective gun control in the country despite growing public outcry, a Turkish expert has said.

Cihat Yayci, a retired Turkish admiral, said that gun violence in the United States will remain unresolved as gun lobbies, mainly the National Rifle Association (NRA), have been funding presidents and congresspeople.

The NRA, a gun rights advocacy group, was founded in 1871 and has become a prominent gun rights lobby, which has nearly 5 million members as of 2018.

"It is a very serious lobby and a manufacturers' union that includes everyone from heavy weapons suppliers to light weapons manufacturers. Users are also included, and there are very high dues and fundings," Yayci noted.

He also mentioned, citing reports published in 2012, that 88 percent of Republicans and 11 percent of Democrats in Congress have received a contribution from the NRA at some point of their career.

Yayci pointed out that such contributions of NRA still continue uninterrupted.

"Therefore, no law (on gun control) can be submitted to the Senate or the House of Representatives," he added, noting that the NRA and other gun lobbies pose the biggest obstacles in curbing gun violence through legislation in the country.

Meanwhile, public outcry against gun violence has been rising in America, yet gun lobbies' donations are still flowing to politicians, he said.

According to a poll reported by U.S. media outlet Politico in 2019, 73 percent of voters supported stricter gun control laws, up from 67 percent in the spring of 2018.

Türkiye's Ihlas news agency on Wednesday reported a striking example of the growing concern among the U.S. public: A mother bought a bulletproof bag for her 5-year-old child as a precaution due to the increasing gun attacks in the country.

"However, the fact that politicians do not listen to the public shows how powerful gun lobbies are," Yayci added. "As long as armament is not banned, it is not possible to prevent brutality, massacres, and armed attacks. When this is not prevented, it is not possible to stop racist attacks."

In a racially motivated mass shooting in May, an 18-year-old killer targeted shoppers at a supermarket in a neighborhood of colored Americans in Buffalo, New York, and killed 10 black people. Yayci said it was shocking that the killer drove 320 km with his gun without any control.

"They are armed and they can raid schools, strike parks and bars, and kill black people. In other words, things that are not done to whites are done to black people, and the use of weapons is essential in these racist attacks," he added.

Yayci also said that there is no other place in the world like the United States where getting armament is that easy.

In Türkiye those who want to get a gun license have to prove to the authorities that they need a gun, such as facing a profound threat and ensuring the safety of the workplace, Yayci added.

"In Türkiye, a gun license also requires two permits, one is for possession while the other is for carrying. However, there is no such thing in the United States. Everyone who buys a gun can carry it," Yayci added.