Nato leaders were left puzzled after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented each of them with an engraved revolver and six live bullets following the alliance's summit in Ankara. The unusual gift, which included a note exempting the weapons from export controls, sparked security headaches and raised questions about protocol.
Starmer First to Reveal Gift
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was the first to mention the gift on the flight back from the two-day summit. He stated that he and other leaders received a revolver engraved with their names, housed in a red box lined in black, accompanied by six live rounds.
Several officials from different alliance member states described the gift as surprising, leading to what one called “insane” scenes among security teams. 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 Protocols Activated
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever only learned of the gift after landing in Belgium. An official said: “The prime minister was surprised and immediately handed it over to airport police so it could be placed in a secure safe and the matter was handled in accordance with relevant procedures.” De Wever’s security team also handled revolvers for EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, who are based in Brussels.
Von der Leyen’s spokesperson said she “expressed her thanks” to Erdoğan and that the weapon would be decommissioned and donated to a military museum.
Previous Incident Raises Caution
The gift to Polish President Karol Nawrocki arrived safely but with extra precautions, not least due to a 2022 incident in which Poland’s police chief brought back an anti-tank grenade launcher from Ukraine that later exploded in his office, causing injuries and damage. An aide to Nawrocki told a local radio station: “It is certain that no one is going to fire it.”
Several revolvers, including those belonging to Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, remained in Ankara for now, as transporting functional firearms across borders is often legally complex.
Canada and Sweden Take Different Approaches
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took his revolver but left the ammunition in Turkey, Canadian officials said, without explaining why. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s team stated the weapon “will have to be transported to Sweden in accordance with all applicable procedures.”
Beyond logistics, the gift puzzled many delegations at a summit focused on Ukraine, Iran, and relations with US President Donald Trump. The recurring question was: why such a gift? While head-of-state gift exchanges are common, they rarely require such security precautions. The Turkish presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
