Erdogan Gifts NATO Leaders Engraved Revolvers and Ammunition

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gifted personalized Gumusay .357 Magnum revolvers, six rounds of live ammunition, and cleaning kits to 32 heads of state and government officials during a NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, 2026. The weapons, produced by state manufacturer MKE, featured name engravings and were intended to showcase Turkey's domestic defense industry. Each gift included a biography of Erdoğan and an export waiver.

The gesture created immediate legal and logistical hurdles for recipients. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten left their firearms at embassies in Ankara, while Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever surrendered his weapon to airport police upon landing. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney transported his revolver to Canada but left the ammunition in Turkey; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is now decommissioning the firearm for potential museum placement. Other leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arranged for decommissioning or museum donations.

Conversely, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung received approval from the National Police Agency to import his firearm into the Presidential Archives. The summit also faced diplomatic friction as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw troops from Europe, expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, and declared the U.S. ceasefire with Iran over, describing Iranian leadership as "scum."