A revolver presented by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. [Reuters]
A revolver presented by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. [Reuters]

President Lee Jae Myung received a pistol as a gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Turkey for the NATO summit, it has emerged.

A Cheong Wa Dae official said Saturday (local time) that Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had consulted with the Korean National Police Agency to obtain approval to bring the firearm into South Korea. "Cheong Wa Dae will safely transfer the firearm to the presidential archive under the management of the Presidential Security Service," the official said.

Lee attended the NATO summit, held over two days in Ankara beginning July 7, and received the engraved revolver — along with a box of live ammunition — before departing the country.

Other world leaders who attended the summit also received identical gifts, each engraved with their respective names.

The revolver was presented in a wooden case bearing the Turkish flag and the NATO logo. Inside the case were a description identifying the weapon as "the first revolver-type pistol produced in Turkey," along with the documentation required for transporting the firearm out of the country.


sang@heraldcorp.com