An unusual gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to NATO leaders has sparked debate and also created practical obstacles following the close of the Alliance summit in Ankara.
At the end of the meeting, Erdogan gave all NATO heads of state and government an engraved “Gumusay 357 Magnum” revolver, together with live ammunition, making the gift more than merely symbolic.
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International media reported that the weapon was packaged in a wooden box bearing the Turkish flag, the NATO logo, and an explanatory plaque in Turkish and English. Each revolver was engraved with the name of the leader who received it.
The aim of the gift was to promote Turkey’s defense industry, which in recent years has become one of the country’s most important export sectors.
However, the presence of a revolver accompanied by bullets has created concrete problems for some delegations, especially regarding transport, customs procedures, and the way the weapon is stored.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said he was surprised when, after returning to Belgium, he found the weapon and ammunition in his luggage. He later handed the revolver over to Brussels Airport police, where it has been placed in a secure facility.
In Poland, President Karol Nawrocki’s weapon is still awaiting the completion of customs formalities at Warsaw airport before being transferred to a secure location. A presidential adviser commented on the situation ironically, saying that “of course no one is going to shoot with it.”
Meanwhile, the offices of the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Sweden said the weapons are still at their embassies in Ankara, awaiting the necessary import documents. In the case of the Netherlands, the revolver is expected to be deactivated before being sent to the country.
According to reports, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received not only the revolver, but also a maintenance kit for it as well as 500 bullets.
On the other hand, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has placed the weapon among the official state gifts at Palazzo Chigi, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that she intends to donate the revolver to a military museum.
The “Gumusay 357 Magnum” model, produced by Turkish state company MKE during the 1990s, is considered a rare weapon for collectors. According to data from the Small Arms Survey, for the 2019–2024 period, Turkey ranked as the world’s third-largest exporter of small arms, behind the United States and Italy.
