Turkish Gun Given to PM Would Have to Undergo Review Before Going in Museum

Canada’s national war and history museums say they would have to conduct a review before they could display a personalized revolver and ammunition given to Prime Minister Mark Carney at this year’s NATO summit in Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave each visiting NATO leader a handgun with their name engraved on it as a gift at the conclusion of the recent summit in Ankara.

Carney told reporters last week he thought the revolver could live somewhere like the Canadian War Museum.

“It’s interesting and it relates to NATO and the bigger picture of that,” he said. “We’re going to find the best home for it.”

The prime minister said last week the revolver was with the RCMP and, since it’s not a legal handgun in Canada, it was rendered unable to fire. Global Affairs Canada said the ammunition was left behind in Turkey.

Avra Gibbs Lamey, a spokesperson for the Canadian War Museum and Canadian Museum of History, said the museums are aware of Carney’s comments and appreciate his interest in preserving and sharing objects of historical significance.

She said there hasn’t been a formal offer to donate the revolver yet and an official evaluation process hasn’t started.

Lamey added that her team is working with the Prime Minister’s Office to ensure the gun is “preserved appropriately.”

Thida Ith, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said that based on guidance from Canadian authorities, the government will look for an appropriate place for the gift, which could be a Canadian museum.

“We are not in a position to provide further details regarding a potential recipient institution or timing,” said Ith.

Under Canada’s conflict of interest rules, any gift received by a politician worth more than $200 must be publicly declared and any gift worth more than $1,000 must be forfeited to the Crown.

A handout photo from the office of Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda shows the gun he received from Erdogan—a Gumusay .357 revolver with Nauseda’s name engraved on the barrel and the Turkish crescent moon and star on the frame, with a small plaque on the grip that says “Ankara Summit.”

A card in the gift box says this was the first type of revolver manufactured in Turkey in the 1990s and that the commemorative firearms were made by the Turkish firm MKE.

A spokesperson for Nauseda’s office said his revolver is to be exhibited in the presidential palace, along with many other gifts given to the head of state.