You can reliably tell them they are WRONG!Interesting subject as I go to Turkey quite a lot,officially not a member state and when I spoke about the prices Hatsans, Huglu's £150-200 and various guns and spares out there at my club to people full of pomp and circumstance you know the "knowalls" was told you cannot bring back in your baggage anything related with Firearms/shotguns.I said it is/was for my personal use not for resale but it was still said it would not be allowed .
It can come back as checked bagged (firearm) PROVIDED you make sure the airline will take it and you have all the right paperwork.
You will NOT be able to take personal possession in Turkey, it WILL be delivered to the airport for you (by the police I think) and you will most likely go to the front of the queue though they are setting up firearms check in booths in smaller airports now, Istanbul already has a "check in" for firearms. .When you arrive in the UK it will go through the usual process of checking, make sure you DO have a slot free. As a "belt and braces", get an OK from your local police to avoid emabarassment if they are "difficult" normally.
To purchase your shotgun in Turkey, all you need is your PASSPORT, they have no idea what an FAC/SGC is - the system in Turkey is different (very different) to the UK. Also they have none of this S1 /S2 / S5 carry on and the o/a length rules are a novelty to them - so make sure what you buy (if you do) fits (no pun intended) the UK rules.
The Istanbul Grand Bazaar area has one street with nothing but gun shops..some of which are most definitely not UK legal. If you are flush and want to travel you can arrange to visit the Huglu factory and they'll do you a gun made to measure way cheaper than the UK (well it was when my missus got her shotgun gun made from scratch)
Obviously if you but a shotgun buy some spares......Hatsan spares are (were) notoriously scarce in the UK.
Hope that helps.
PS Huglu make CZ-USA shotguns, sw the boxes when we were there!!!
