Engraved Magnums and Live Rounds: Erdogan's NATO Summit Parting Gift

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented an unusual and highly controversial parting gift to NATO leaders attending the Ankara summit: a vintage revolver accompanied by live ammunition.

The gesture immediately triggered logistical headaches and security concerns among the departing diplomatic delegations.

Erdogan distributed the Gumusay .357 Magnum handguns to showcase the rapid expansion of Türkiye's defense industry.

The rare six-shooter, originally manufactured by the Turkish state arms maker MKE in the 1990s, was presented in a custom wooden display box.

Each case was lined in black and red, featuring the NATO logo alongside the flag of Türkiye.

A bilingual placard inside identified the weapon as the first domestic revolver-type handgun produced in the country.

The weapons were personally engraved with the names of the visiting heads of state. They were accompanied by an official note exempting the firearms from standard export controls.

Diplomatic Security Hurdles

While most leaders received six live rounds, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was provided with a cleaning kit and 500 bullets.

The presence of fully functional firearms and ammunition created immediate challenges for international security protocols.

Several delegations abandoned the weapons at their respective embassies in Ankara rather than attempt to transport them across borders.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten left his firearm to be disabled, while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson delayed transport pending import documentation.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also left his weapon in the Turkish capital.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney transported the revolver back to North America but elected to leave the live ammunition in Türkiye.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's office confirmed that all models distributed were identical apart from the personalized engravings.

Post-Summit Management

Some leaders remained unaware of the exact nature of the gift until their return flights.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever discovered the live firearm upon landing and immediately surrendered it to Brussels airport police for secure storage.

Belgian security personnel also managed the logistics for European Union chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.

Von der Leyen plans to decommission her revolver and donate it to a military museum, a strategy mirrored by the Greek leadership for the War Museum in Athens.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni secured her weapon, along with other official state gifts, at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome.

Safety Precautions

The unusual distribution of functional weapons prompted particular caution from the Polish delegation.

The revolver gifted to President Karol Nawrocki was held for customs clearance at Warsaw airport to ensure it was handled securely.

Aides explicitly confirmed the weapon would not be fired, reflecting residual caution from a 2022 incident where a gifted Ukrainian anti-tank grenade launcher exploded inside the Warsaw police headquarters.

The unconventional gifts underscored Ankara’s broader economic objectives.

Türkiye emerged as the world's third-largest small arms exporter between 2019 and 2024, recording approximately $3 billion in sales behind the U.S. and Italy.