A special gift given by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has now become a topic of discussion all over the world. Some leaders and delegates attending the recent NATO summit were given a Turkish-made Sarsilmaz SR-38 revolver along with genuine bullets as a farewell gift. As soon as this information came to light, the security agencies of Belgium and Netherlands became alert.
It is being told that this revolver was specially prepared as a souvenir of the NATO conference and special engraving was also done on each revolver. But because it is a real weapon, strict legal rules have to be followed to take it from one country to another. The name of the respective leader was written on each revolver and it was kept in a special wooden presentation box. However, amidst these discussions, headlines regarding revolver have started increasing.
Sarsilmaz SR-38 revolver
Sarsilmaz SR-38 is a .357 Magnum caliber revolver manufactured by Türkiye’s famous weapon manufacturing company Sarsilmaz. It is a six-shot double-action revolver, known for its strong steel body and traditional design. It is also used for sport shooting, training and as a personal collection. Türkiye today primarily produces semi-automatic pistols, so revolvers like the SR-38 are relatively rare and considered niche models.
Why are questions being raised?
Usually, at international conferences, guests are presented with souvenirs, artefacts or local handicrafts. But, this time, questions have been raised on security and legal rules due to revolver being given as a gift. Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever handed over the revolver and bullets to the police as soon as he returned to the country, while Poland, the Netherlands and Sweden kept them safe at customs or in their embassies. Italy has it in a government collection and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to donate it to a military museum.
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