Erdogan gives NATO leaders engraved revolvers at Ankara summit
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Erdogan gives NATO leaders engraved revolvers at Ankara summit
Erdoğan gives engraved pistols and ammunition to NATO leaders at Ankara summit
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented NATO leaders with engraved revolvers and live ammunition at the alliance’s summit in Ankara on Wednesday, a gesture that has since sparked legal and logistical dilemmas across Europe. The unusual gifts—personalised .357 Magnum revolvers produced by Turkey’s state arms manufacturer MKE—were accompanied by cleaning kits and boxes of ammunition, with each weapon engraved with the recipient’s name. While some leaders accepted the firearms under strict conditions, others were forced to leave them behind due to domestic gun laws.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed he received the revolver during his flight home, describing it as a “curious souvenir” from the fractious summit. However, Starmer left the weapon at the British embassy in Ankara, where it will be decommissioned to comply with UK firearms regulations. A Downing Street source told *The Independent* that Starmer’s gift included 500 bullets and a cleaning kit, while the revolver itself appears to be a Gumusay model, a rare six-shooter produced by MKE in the 1990s .
Other leaders faced similar challenges. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s press secretary, Hanna Strömberg, stated that the revolver would be transported to Sweden “under ordered conditions and in accordance with Swedish law,” leaving it temporarily at the Swedish embassy in Ankara . Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre returned his revolver to the Turkish Foreign Ministry after determining it could not be imported under strict national regulations . Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz left his gift at the German embassy in Ankara, while EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen intends to donate hers to a military museum .
Erdoğan’s decision to waive Turkish export controls on the weapons—via an official letter—allowed leaders to take possession of the revolvers, but domestic laws in several countries have since complicated their transport. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, however, plans to display his engraved revolver at the Presidential Palace, calling it a “gift from the Turkish president” . The Dutch and Belgian prime ministers also left their revolvers in Ankara, with the Dutch weapon set to be disabled and the Belgian one handed to airport police for safekeeping .
The gifts underscore Erdoğan’s push to promote Turkey’s defence industry, which has become a key export sector and foreign policy tool. According to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, Turkey was the world’s third-largest exporter of small arms between 2019 and 2024, with exports totalling approximately $3 billion . The Gumusay revolver, a collector’s item, highlights Turkey’s growing presence in the global firearms market, challenging traditional European manufacturers.
While some leaders have embraced the gesture, others have treated it with caution. Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s aide told *Radio RMF FM* that the revolver would be kept in a secure location “so that it is firstly safe and secondly respected as a gift,” adding that “certainly no one will be shooting it” . The unusual nature of the gifts has drawn comparisons to other unconventional state presents, from camels to chainsaws, but the revolvers stand out for their practical—and potentially problematic—nature.
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3 further sources not geolocated
Articles
Montenegro entregou arma oferecida por Erdogan à PSP Primeiro-ministro entregou o revólver Magnum que o presidente turco lhe ofereceu na cimeira da NATO ao Corpo de Segurança. Arma encontra-se em perícias no Departamento de Armas e Explosivos da PSP.
observador · about 2 hours ago
Magyar Péter kapott Erdoğantól egy Magnumot Nem egy jégkrémet, hanem egy pisztolyt, töltényekkel.
444.hu · about 2 hours ago
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Statsledere fik indgraveret revolver i gave af Erdogan ved topmøde Det er endnu uvist, om statsminister Mette Frederiksen også har modtaget en revolver, og hvad der i så fald er gjort af gaven.
dr.dk · about 2 hours ago
Erikoiset lahjat | Mediat: Erdoğan antoi Nato-johtajille revolverit – Stubbin kanslia vaikenee Presidentti Stubbin kanslia ei kommentoi, saiko Stubb revolverin.
helsingin sanomat · about 2 hours ago
Scharfe Revolver von Erdoğan? Es gibt viele seltsame Staatsgeschenke [premium] Elefanten als „Kriegsgerät, verspeiste Kamele und Kettensägen: Das Präsent des türkischen Präsidenten zum Abschied an seine Nato-Gäste ist nicht das erste, das die Beschenkten in Verlegenheit bringt.
die presse · about 2 hours ago
Pistolul Gumușay oferit de Erdogan președintelui Nicușor Dan va fi păstrat de SPP Pistolul ceremonial primit cadou de președintele României, Nicușor Dan, din partea președintelui Turciei, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, în cadrul Summitului NATO de la Ankara, nu va rămâne în posesia personală a șefului statului.
adevarul · about 2 hours ago
Turkey: Erdogan gives NATO leaders pistols with ammunition after summit NATO leaders received a vintage revolver, along with a box of ammunition, from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Wednesdays summit in Ankara.
france24 · about 2 hours ago
Erdogan gives every Nato leader personalised gun as farewell gift at Ankara summit The engraved firearms were accompanied by live ammunition and a cleaning kit
independent · about 2 hours ago
Nausėda receives engraved revolver from Erdogan at NATO summit Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda received an engraved revolver as a gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit in Ankara, the Lithuanian presidential office confirmed on Thursday.
lrt · about 2 hours ago
Pistola in regalo da Erdoğan, Starmer e Merz la lasciano in Turchia. Il governo italiano: Seguite tutte le procedure
mastodon bot · about 2 hours ago
🇹🇷 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇧🇪 🇵🇱 🇸🇪 🇱🇹 What does a world leader do with a gun and six bullets? That was the conundrum NATO leaders faced after the Turkish president offered them each a revolver after the Ankara summit ➡️ u.afp.com/SKbH
bluesky_AFP English · about 2 hours ago
El regalo sorpresa de Erdogan a los líderes de la OTAN: un revólver personalizado con munición real Dirigentes como Keir Starmer han optado por dejar el arma en Turquía para evitar problemas legales
la vanguardia · about 2 hours ago
Jetten laat door Erdogan geschonken revolver achter in Turkije na NAVO-top Premier Rob Jetten heeft na de NAVO-top in Ankara een gepersonaliseerde revolver met munitie gekregen van de Turkse president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Volgens de Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst heeft Jetten het geschenk achtergelaten in de Turkse hoofdstad.
nu.nl · about 2 hours ago
Magyar Péter megmutatta az Erdogantól kapott pisztolyát – fotó A fegyver egy Gumusay .357 Magnum, egy ritka, hatlövetű revolver, amelyet az MKE török fegyvergyártó készített az 1990-es években.
hvg.hu · about 2 hours ago
Erdogan geeft vuurwapen en kogels cadeau aan regeringsleiders na NAVO-top Alle NAVO-leiders kregen een pistool met zes kogels en een schoonmaaksetje cadeau. De Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst laat weten dat premier Jetten het cadeau heeft achtergelaten op de Nederlandse ambassade in Turkije.
nrc · about 2 hours ago
NATO leaders were given revolvers as a gift – heres what they did with them The unusual item was a parting gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
independent · about 2 hours ago
Erdogan gifted engraved revolvers to summit leaders At a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gifted personalized Turkish-produced Sarsilmaz SR 38 revolvers to attending heads of state and government. Due to legal restrictions on importing firearms into the UK, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer left his gift at the British embassy in Turkey to be decommissioned. Similarly, the leaders […]
cphpost · about 2 hours ago
Erdogan gifts NATO leaders engraved revolvers with live ammunition NATOs leaders left the Ankara summit with guns and live ammunition gifted to them by Turkiyes President.
aljazeera · about 2 hours ago
Turkeys Erdogan gives NATO leaders revolver conundrum after summit reut.rs/4vXSnNs
bluesky_Reuters · about 2 hours ago
Premier De Wever krijgt ongewoon cadeau van Turkse president
de morgen · about 3 hours ago
Nicușor Dan anunță ce va face cu pistolul primit cadou de la Erdogan la summitul NATO de la Ankara Președintele Nicușor Dan a primit un pistol și muniția aferentă drept cadou din partea omologului turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan, la summitul NATO de la Ankara. Administrația Prezidențială a precizat că arma a fost preluată pentru verificări și va fi păstrată în custodia Serviciului de Protecție și Pază (SPP), conform procedurilor legale.
digi24 · about 3 hours ago
Von der Leyen to donate gun gifted by Erdoğan to military museum Personalised pistols given out by the Turkish president at this weeks NATO summit appear to be gifts that keep on giving.
euronews · about 3 hours ago
Newly released footage shows revolver gifted by Erdogan to NATO leaders Images shared by the Lithuanian Presidency show a revolver given by Turkeys Erdogan to every NATO leader as a parting gift after the summit in Ankara. Each leader received a box containing a revolver engraved with their name, six bullets and a note exempting the weapons from export control.
euronews · about 3 hours ago