Erdogan Gave Weapons to NATO and EU Leaders, but the Unusual Gesture Also Created Diplomatic Complications

At the summit held in Ankara with NATO and EU leaders, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chose an unusual form of gift, presenting several customized firearms.

The move was seen as an expression of the “symbolism of the strong leader,” but also as a way to highlight the strengthening of Turkey’s domestic defense industry.

According to interpretations that accompanied the diplomatic gesture, the aim was for Turkey to present itself as a welcoming and equal country, rather than as a secondary ally within the alliance.

The pistols, which bore special engravings, were handed to the leaders together with live ammunition and official export documentation.

However, the gifts caused difficulties for some of the recipients because of the strict firearms legislation in some countries.

For this reason, the outgoing Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, was unable to take the revolver with him and was forced to leave it in Turkey, as bringing the weapon and its ammunition into Britain would have conflicted with strict domestic laws.

On the other hand, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as European Council President António Costa, accepted the weapons, although EU officials underlined that ceremonial weapons, when given as state gifts, usually face strict restrictions.

Likewise, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney decided to send their pistols through diplomatic channels so that they could be deactivated or transferred to their countries’ respective embassies.