The official sale of Glock pistols has put an end to smuggling.

The official sale of Glock pistols, which were among the most commonly smuggled weapons into Turkey, particularly from northern Iraq, began with their importation, leading to the end of smuggling within a year.

According to information compiled by an AA reporter from official data, smuggling of officially imported weapons and similar products has come to an end. According to the General Directorate of Security and the Customs Administration, smuggling of officially imported weapons and similar products has almost come to an end, while a significant decrease was observed in 2008 compared to previous years in the number of foreign-brand pistols, particularly Glocks, that entered Turkey through illegal channels and were seized by security forces.

In 2005, Glock accounted for a quarter of all foreign-made pistols seized, and this ratio remained unchanged in 2006 and 2007.

 

ILLEGAL IMPORTS DECREASED BY 90 PERCENT LAST YEAR

As a result of measures taken to bring the unregistered economy into the formal economy, many weapons and similar products, particularly Glock pistols, were registered.

Within the framework of the measures taken, there was a 90 percent decrease in the illegal import of Glock pistols into Turkey compared to previous years.

According to the latest data from 2008, a total of 619 pistols were seized, with only 48 of them being illegal Glocks. Authorities emphasize that illegal firearms not only pose a threat to public safety but also weaken the state's control over inventory and the economy.

Authorities attribute the decline in the number of smuggled Glock pistols to the Machine Chemistry and Industry Corporation (MKEK) beginning to sell these pistols at half the black market price with a license in 2008.

 

ILLEGAL GLOCK PISTOLS WERE USED IN SENSATIONAL ACTIONS

The use of Glock pistols in some sensational actions and their being referred to as “ghost guns” increased interest in these pistols. When this intense demand could not be met through official channels, there was a significant increase in the illegal import of Glock pistols from northern Iraq.

The Glock pistols included in the weapons donated by the US to Iraq as part of its reconstruction efforts, but which the Iraqi Government failed to keep track of and thus lost control of, entered countries such as Turkey through illegal channels.

These pistols, which fell into the hands of smugglers and arms dealers, were smuggled into many countries in the region, primarily Turkey, generating substantial profits.

 

GLOCK TURKEY REPRESENTATIVE MÜSLÜM ERDOĞAN

Müslüm Erdoğan, General Manager of Mend Defense Industry, which represents Glock pistols in Turkey, said that allowing imports played a very important role in the periodic decline in arms smuggling, as did the measures taken by the police.

Müslüm Erdoğan noted that due to the impossibility of importing Glock pistols, the illegal arms market has expanded, and Glock pistols are being smuggled into Turkey through illegal channels.

Erdoğan responded to questions from an AA reporter regarding the importation of Glock pistols and the risk of smuggled Glock pistols falling into the hands of illegal individuals and being used in sensational incidents with the following statement: "The fact that Glock pistols are being smuggled into the country indicates that there is a market for them. There is a high demand for Glock pistols. Glock is a popular brand both in Turkey and around the world. Until 2008, Glock imports to Turkey were not permitted for various reasons. This ban benefited those seeking to profit from it.

The main reason Glock could not be imported into Turkey was due to certain issues between Austria and Turkey between 1993 and 2006."

 

However, when the import process reached its final stage in 2007, some speculative allegations were made against Glock. This caused the import to be delayed. It was revealed that a significant portion of the Glocks entering Turkey through illegal channels were weapons donated by the US to Iraq. Glock immediately took action with the US government, requesting that the illegal entry of Glock weapons into Turkey be prevented by any means necessary.

Smugglers and arms dealers obtained these weapons illegally and made huge profits by smuggling them into Turkey and other countries in the region. At this stage, Turkey adopted a smart policy by allowing Glock to be imported through official channels.

Glocks, which were sold for a few hundred dollars in northern Iraq, could be sold for eight to ten thousand dollars in Turkey. Therefore, imports began. In early 2008, 825 Glocks were imported, and they sold out on the same day sales began. The second batch of imported Glocks also sold out within a few days. While Glocks were being sold on the black market for 8-10 thousand dollars, MKEK offered these imported weapons for sale at prices ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 dollars. 

 

As seen in the annual report prepared by official authorities, with the importation of Glock into Turkey, there has been a significant decrease in the number of weapons entering the country through illegal channels, with a nearly 90% decrease noted in official government reports. Imports have prevented smuggling. The government has earned millions of dollars from this. Additionally, it has prevented these weapons from falling into the hands of illegal individuals. I believe that importing enough Glocks to meet the domestic market demand will eliminate the illegal entry of Glocks into the country. MKEK has begun working on the importation of third-party Glocks, which will arrive in our country in the coming months.

TURKEY AMONG THE BEST EXAMPLES ACCORDING TO THE WTO

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has noted that Turkey is among the “best examples” in terms of registered economic measures and anti-smuggling activities, as seen in the case of Glock, where the official importation of firearms and similar products entering Turkey through illegal channels has begun.