QA-30, 28 November 2015, Statement of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tanju Bilgiç in Response to a Question Regarding the News About the Seizure of Shotguns from Turkey at the Port of Trieste in Italy

It has been reported by some news agencies that a shipment of 800 shotguns from Turkey, being transported without the necessary permits, have been seized by Italian authorities at the Port of Trieste on a Dutch-registered truck destined for Belgium.

The shipment in question concerns the legal exportation of 781 Winchester-brand smoothbore hunting rifles from Turkey to a customer in Belgium.

The reason for this problem is understood to be the negligence of the importer in Belgium to obtain the necessary transit permit from Italy for the shipment which arrived in the Port of Trieste by sea, on its way to Belgium by land.

The exporter company in Turkey has informed that the required procedures are being fulfilled by the importer as well as the transport company before the Italian authorities and that the issue is about to be resolved.