Breaking News: 2,500 Watchmen to Be Recruited! Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has announced good news. According to his statement, a total of 2,500 new watchmen (bekçi) will be hired. Minister Soylu noted that the current number of watchmen stands at 26,000, while the target complement is 30,000. He also said that, if President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan deems it necessary, the watchmen cadre could be increased to 40,000. Soylu added that the number of female police officers is still low and that they plan to raise that number through further recruitments. He also affirmed that the government intends to fulfill its promise of providing additional indicators (ek gösterge) for the police once the pandemic period subsides.
Minister Soylu Announced: 2,500 Watchmen Will Be Recruited
In his announcement, Minister Soylu emphasized that the deployment of watchmen has contributed to reductions in public-order incidents. He pointed out notable drops in daily theft rates: in Istanbul the rate fell from 79% to 25%, in Ankara it moved into single digits, and in Izmir it dropped into the low single digits. He stressed that watchmen have undoubtedly played a role in these improvements.
Soylu reminded the public that watchmen have had the authority to request identification since 1966 and that their duties are defined by regulation. While some responsibilities overlap with police work, there are tasks that watchmen cannot perform. Currently there are 26,000 watchmen, and with the recruitment of 2,500 more, the aim is to reach a total authorized strength of 30,000; he noted that 28,500 positions have already been filled.
The minister also addressed the gender balance within law enforcement. He said that until recently about 3,000 women had been employed as police officers, but that this figure remains low nationwide and well below European averages. To improve representation, the government is considering hiring an additional 2,500 female police officers. Finally, Soylu reiterated the government’s commitment to implement the 3,600 additional indicator for police personnel, stating that this will be carried out as promised.