Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented each Nato leader with an engraved revolver and six live bullets following the Ankara summit, leaving officials puzzled and security teams scrambling. The unusual gift, confirmed by multiple delegations, included a red box lined in black containing the weapon, ammunition, and a note exempting it from export controls.
Starmer first to mention gift
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was the first to disclose the gift on his flight back from Ankara, where Nato leaders gathered for two days. He said he and others received a revolver engraved with their names. The Hungarian prime minister, Péter Magyar, posted on X: “An unusual gift from president Erdoğan at the Nato summit: a Magnum revolver with ammunition, engraved with my name.”
Security concerns and past incidents
The gift sparked “insane” scenes among security teams, according to several officials. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever only learned of the gift after landing in Belgium and immediately handed it to airport police for secure storage. His security team also handled revolvers for EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa. Von der Leyen’s spokesperson said she thanked Erdoğan and will decommission the weapon for donation to a military museum.
Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki safely received his revolver, but an aide noted a past incident: in December 2022, Poland’s police chief brought back an anti-tank grenade launcher from Ukraine as a gift, which exploded in his office, injuring him and damaging police headquarters. “It is certain that no one is going to fire it,” the aide told a local radio station.
Logistical challenges
Several revolvers, including those of Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, remained in Ankara due to complex firearm transport laws. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney took his revolver but left the ammunition in Turkey, without explanation. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s team stated the weapon would be transported “in accordance with all applicable procedures.”
Puzzlement over motive
Beyond logistics, the gift baffled delegations at a summit focused on Ukraine, Iran, and relations with US President Donald Trump. While heads of state commonly exchange gifts, such items rarely require such precautions. The Turkish presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
