LONDON
A pistol crafted for Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, will be auctioned in London, UK capital.
Christie's Auction House has announced the pistol that was crafted to be a gift for Ataturk to mark the founding of the Republic of Turkey would be auctioned in the "Antique Arms, Armour and Collector Firearms" bidding on September 26.
The pistol reading "General Mustafa Kemal" in gold print is expected to sell 20,000/25,000 pounds.
"Browning" brand pistol, a personal side-arm, was gifted to Ataturk by Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear (1868-1942), the then President of Argentina, to commemorate the founding of the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923. Alvear, a world renowned pistol shot, was known to have made gifts of firearms, often pistols bearing gold-inlaid dedications, to numerous political figures of the day.
Meanwhile, Christie's assignees said that they did not have any document proving that Ataturk had received the pistol.
