European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen intends to donate the revolver presented to her by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to a military museum after it has been rendered inoperable.
The weapon was given to her on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, where Erdoğan also presented engraved revolvers and live ammunition to other participating leaders.
Weapon to be stored securely
Asked on Thursday what would happen to the firearm, European Commission deputy spokesperson Olof Gill said von der Leyen had thanked Erdoğan for the gesture.
“The firearm will be transported and stored securely and, once deactivated, the President intends to donate it to a military museum,” Gill told reporters in Brussels.
The spokesperson said it was not for him to comment on the reasoning behind Erdoğan’s gift and referred questions on the matter to the Turkish president’s representatives.
A similar procedure is expected to be followed for the revolver received by European Council President António Costa. The weapon is already in the possession of his security team for the necessary inspections before it is transferred to the Council of the European Union’s premises.
Cyprus discussed during Ankara dinner
Gill also referred to the working dinner attended by von der Leyen, Costa and Erdoğan, saying the meeting covered a broad range of issues.
Discussions on EU-Turkey relations included defence, migration and mobility, trade and industrial policy, while the leaders also addressed the Cyprus problem, Ukraine, the Caucasus and developments in the Middle East.
In a joint social media post following Wednesday evening’s dinner, Costa and von der Leyen made specific reference to Cyprus, stressing the need to build on the “renewed momentum” towards a settlement through the United Nations-led process.
They thanked Erdoğan for the welcome in Ankara and said that “the European Union and Turkey are strategic partners and we are committed to strengthening our relationship”.
“In an increasingly challenging world, our partnership is more important than ever,” they said.
The two EU leaders added that Turkey had been an important partner in responding to crises in the Middle East and supporting efforts towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
“We must also seize the renewed momentum to advance a Cyprus settlement through the UN-led process,” the statement said.
Also present at the meeting were Costa’s chief foreign policy adviser, Anna-Maria Boura, von der Leyen’s head of cabinet, Björn Seibert, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.
Engraved revolvers and live ammunition
The gift was a handmade, engraved Sarsılmaz SR 38 revolver, presented in a wooden case bearing the Turkish flag and the NATO logo.
The case also contained live ammunition, while a plaque described it as “the first revolver manufactured in our country”.
Each weapon was engraved with the name of its recipient and accompanied by the relevant export documents.
The gifts prompted different responses from the countries whose leaders received them.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever reportedly transported the weapon and ammunition to Belgium in his luggage without realising what the case contained. Its contents were discovered only on the airport apron at Melsbroek.
The firearm was subsequently handed to airport police and placed in a secure safe.
Different procedures followed by European leaders
The Netherlands and Sweden transferred their revolvers to their embassies in Ankara.
The Dutch weapon is expected to be deactivated, while Sweden will wait for the necessary import documents to be prepared.
An aide to Polish President Karol Nawrocki said the firearm was awaiting customs clearance at Warsaw Airport and would be kept “in an appropriate place, so that it is first secure and then honoured as a gift”.
“Certainly, nobody is going to fire it,” the aide added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received a revolver, a cleaning kit and 500 rounds of ammunition, according to a Downing Street source, but left the items in Turkey.
The revolver presented to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is already being stored at Palazzo Chigi alongside other official state gifts.
Source: CNA
