NATO summits usually end with handshakes and joint declarations. This year’s summit in Ankara ended with something very different.
Every NATO leader went back with a revolver and a box of live ammunition, personally gifted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
This unexpected gift caught many leaders off guard and caused some awkward moments at airports across Europe. All 32 NATO leaders received the same gift, a vintage Gumusay.357 Magnum revolver, made by Turkish arms manufacturer MKE in the 1990s, engraved personally with each leader’s name, along with live ammunition.
The guns came in a wooden presentation case. Erdogan also attached a personal note to each gift, waiving Türkiye’s export control on the weapon, an unusual step that showed he was aware the guns might face legal issues at borders.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever only found out he had a gun and ammunition in his luggage when he landed back in Brussels. He handed it straight to the airport police.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told journalists about the gift on his flight home. He could not bring it back to Britain, as importing a gun is illegal under British law. So, the revolver stayed in Ankara to be destroyed, despite Erdogan’s personal note.
The Swedish and Dutch Prime Ministers sent their revolvers to their embassies in Ankara. The Dutch one was to be disabled. The Swedish one is waiting for paperwork.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stored hers with other state gifts. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would donate hers to a military museum. Greece’s leader also plans to give his to the War Museum in Athens.
Canadian Prime Minister joked about it, saying: “It struck me that my gift of maple syrup kind of under-matched.” He admitted that he had not even seen his pistol yet.
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The gift was deliberate as Erdogan wanted to show off Türkiye’s growing defense industry, which is one of the most important exports and a key part of the country’s foreign policy.
Türkiye is home to 3,000 defense companies and is now a major arms exporter, well known for products like the Bayraktar drone.
Additionally, on the sidelines of the summit, US President Trump said he would consider allowing Türkiye to buy American F-35 fighter jets, a deal that has been blocked for years after Türkiye purchased Russian air defense systems.
Erdogan’s gift underlined that Türkiye’s own defense industry has grown so strong that it no longer needs to rely on others. It is rare for a NATO summit to end with leaders scrambling to figure out what to do with a revolver in their luggage.
