Erdoğan gives engraved pistols and ammunition to NATO leaders at Ankara summit
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented engraved pistols and live ammunition to every head of state and government attending this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, a gesture confirmed on Wednesday by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he flew home from the Turkish capital.
Starmer told reporters aboard his aircraft that each leader received a revolver bearing their name, accompanied by a box of ammunition, along with an official letter from Erdoğan waiving Turkish export controls on the weapons. The British prime minister said he had been compelled to leave his gift in Turkey because importing a functional firearm into the United Kingdom would violate domestic law, despite the presidential exemption. “I had to leave it in Turkey,” Starmer told the Press Association, “because it would be illegal to bring it into the UK.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s office confirmed that he, too, had received a revolver and ammunition from Erdoğan. A government spokesman said the weapon was handed to the German embassy in Ankara for proper registration and inclusion in the official gifts collection, adding that it would be processed according to national and diplomatic protocols.
Multiple European leaders described similar experiences. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten confirmed that his engraved pistol would remain in Ankara, while Belgian officials said Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s gift was discovered only after his return flight. A European Council official told POLITICO that security teams had taken possession of the weapons for inspection, with procedures under Belgian law to be followed before any potential transfer to Brussels.
The unusual gifts were first disclosed by Starmer, whose tenure as UK prime minister is scheduled to end within weeks. He announced his resignation on June 22 and will remain in office until Labour Party members select a successor, with former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham widely tipped to replace him. Starmer described the summit as “fruitful,” telling Sky News that leaders had reaffirmed NATO’s “unwavering commitment” to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the alliance’s collective defence clause.
Erdoğan’s decision to present live ammunition alongside the firearms drew immediate attention. A senior EU official quoted by POLITICO noted that the gifts risked breaching strict rules on the value and nature of official presents, making it unlikely recipients would retain them for personal use.
The NATO summit concluded with a joint declaration reaffirming the alliance’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. During the gathering, former US President Donald Trump criticised European allies for insufficient backing in a separate conflict with Iran, according to reports from the summit.
Turkey’s presidency has not publicly commented on the gifts, and no further details have emerged regarding the fate of the weapons left in Ankara. For the leaders who received them, the pistols will now enter diplomatic collections rather than personal arsenals.
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Articles
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