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Erdogan’s Revolver
The way European politicians handle the revolver gift from Turkey is symbolic of defense capability. A Commentary by Rainhard Kloucek
One can think what one wants about Turkish President Erdogan. However, he should by no means be called a democrat. But one cannot deny him a sense of readiness to defend “his” country. The Russians also had to acknowledge this when they thought they could use Turkish airspace during their operation in Syria.
Erdogan also has a sense for the symbolism of diplomatic gifts. At the recent NATO summit in Ankara, participating government representatives received a Gümüsay .357 Magnum revolver (the first revolver produced in Turkey, a piece of weapons history), with an engraved name, ammunition, and an export permit. The message behind it was clear: NATO is a defense alliance. A defense alliance must be able to defend itself, and it must be able to deter. This cannot be done with teddy bears; weapons are needed.
Especially since the destructive invasion of the Moscow colonial empire into Ukraine, this should also be known in Europe. However, the way Europeans handle the gift from Turkey says a lot about their understanding of defense capability. The British Prime Minister, for example, pointed out that it would be illegal to import the revolver to the island.
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, announced that she would donate the revolver to a museum in Brussels. Before that, however, the weapon would be demilitarized, i.e., rendered unusable. Now, alluding to an inscription in the Museum of Military History in Vienna, it is indeed desirable that wars belong in a museum.
Reality, however, looks different. This can only be changed if one acts with appropriate defense readiness. However, von der Leyen already proved as Defense Minister in Germany that she would rather ruin a military than establish defense readiness.
Her claim to want to lead a geopolitical commission turns out, through such actions, to be a claim that does not correspond with the reality of her actions. This is also evident in the European Firearms Directive.
c Featured image: NATO. Participants at the NATO summit in Turkey during the evening reception
