Erdogan Hands NATO Leaders Revolvers and Six Bullets — Now They Can’t Get Them Home
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave each leader at the NATO summit in Ankara a personalized .357 Magnum revolver and a box of ammunition, sparking a logistical scramble as several heads of state were forced to leave the weapons behind due to strict gun laws [191905][192052].
The unusual gift, called the Gumusay .357 Magnum, came in a wooden display case with a Turkish flag note and a plaque reading: "Gumusay, the first revolver-type pistol produced in our country" [191905]. Erdogan also attached a note that lifted export controls on the weapons [192052].
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer left his revolver in Ankara, where British officials will make it unable to fire before sending it to the United Kingdom [191905][192061]. Importing functional firearms is illegal in Britain [192061]. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also did not bring the weapon home, returning it to the Turkish Foreign Ministry by agreement [192052]. Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson and Germany’s Friedrich Merz made the same choice, leaving their revolvers in Turkey for now [192052].
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gave his revolver to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for deactivation, while the ammunition stayed in Turkey [191905]. He joked that his gift of maple syrup "kind of undermatched" Erdogan’s offering [192352]. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s weapon will be donated to a military museum [191905]. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever only learned what the gift was after landing in Belgium and immediately handed it to airport police [191905].
The gifts have raised questions about protocol and security at international meetings [192352]. Erdogan said the summit strengthened Ankara's international profile [191829]. The handouts also highlight Turkey's growing defense industry, a key export and foreign policy tool [191905].