Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented NATO leaders with engraved revolvers as farewell gifts following the alliance’s summit in Ankara, in an unusual gesture aimed at showcasing Turkey’s growing defence industry.
Each leader received a vintage Gumusay .357 Magnum revolver, accompanied by live ammunition and a cleaning kit, making the gift more than a ceremonial display piece. The personalised handguns, engraved with the recipients’ names, were presented in wooden cases bearing the Turkish flag, the NATO logo and an inscription describing the Gumusay as the first revolver-type handgun produced in Turkey.
The unexpected gift prompted varying responses from leaders and their governments, with several immediately arranging secure storage or museum donations rather than taking the firearms home.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever handed his revolver to police at Brussels Airport for safekeeping after discovering it in his luggage upon returning from the summit.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s gift reportedly included a cleaning kit and 500 rounds of ammunition. Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joked that his own gift of maple syrup to Erdogan “kind of undermatched” the Turkish president’s present, adding that officials had kept the firearm away from him. He said the revolver had been deactivated and could eventually be displayed in Canada’s national war museum.
European leaders also indicated they would not keep the firearms for personal use. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen intends to donate hers to a military museum, while Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis plans to send his revolver to the War Museum in Athens. Italy has already placed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s gift in the state collection at Palazzo Chigi.
The Dutch government said that its revolver would be permanently disabled, while Sweden’s was awaiting import formalities. Poland confirmed its firearm was being held by customs before being transferred to secure storage.
The Gumusay revolver, produced by Turkish state-owned arms manufacturer MKE during the 1990s, is now considered a rare collector’s item, as Turkey’s firearms industry has largely shifted towards semi-automatic pistols.
