ANKARA (CIHAN) - A total of 321,805 crimes were committed in Turkey last year, according to a survey by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce.
The number of crimes committed in the first five months of 2004 hit 143,924. The year-end prediction is 350,000. There has been a remarkable increase in robbery, picking pocketing, purse snatching, car robbery, bank robbery, kidnapping, extortion, looting and vandalism, encroachment, arson, forgery, murder, violent assaults, rape, gambling, bribery, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and other crimes.
In 2001, 299,589 crimes were recorded; in 2002, nearly 296,000 crimes were recorded; and in 2003, 321,805 crimes were committed in Turkey. Every two minutes, one malicious act is committed in Turkey.
There has been an increase in economically motivated crime. In 2003, 152,505 such crimes were committed.
According to the report, 135,898 crimes were committed in the three most populous cities: Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara. In Istanbul, 226 crimes were committed daily last year. In Ankara, 85 were committed daily and 62 a day were reported in Izmir.
Last year, nearly 8,200 work locations were robbed in Istanbul. Ankara was the victim of 2,848 robberies and Izmir 2,871 recorded such events. The lowest number of robberies took place in Bayburt with 10.
The largest increase was recorded in purse snatching which is currently being debated within the government.
Most home robberies took place in Istanbul last year with 10,195. Istanbul was followed by Ankara with 2,884. The lowest number of home robberies occurred in Tunceli with just 5 incidents last year.
In 2003, 2,277 robberies took place in state buildings.
Istanbul is a center for car robberies with 16,665 last year. Istanbul was followed by Izmir with 1,711. In 2003, 24,616 cars were robbed across Turkey. The corresponding figure for 2002 was 20,095. No cars were robbed in Kars, Tunceli or Igdir.
The most widespread crimes are pick pocketing and purse snatching. In 2002, 12,595 and in 2003, 12,793 pick pocketing and purse snatching incidents took place in Turkey. In the first five months of 2004, the figure stands at 6,333.
Again Istanbul and Izmir top the listing in terms of snatching and pick pocketing. The numbers are successively 5,175 for Istanbul, and 2,430 for Ýzmir. Last year, no incidents of purse snatching or pick pocketing were recorded in the northern city of. Sinop.
The latest trend is the robbery of antique carpets and similar historic pieces and precious artifacts from museums.
Last year, 3,736 incidents of armed robbery were recorded in Turkey. Again Istanbul comes in first with 1482 incidents and 295 incidents in Antalya.
No incidents of seizure by force were seen in the cities of Giresun, Gümüshane, Tunceli or Bayburt.
A total of 911 forgery occurred in Istanbul, 539 in Ankara and 271 in Antalya in 2003. No such incidents were recorded in Bingöl and Tunceli.