World leaders departing the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, received an unusual parting gift from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: revolvers and live ammunition, with each gun engraved with the recipient's name. A photo shared by the Lithuanian President's Office shows a vintage six-shooter with a wooden grip and chrome-like barrel. Reuters identified the firearm as a Gumusay .357 Magnum, a rare pistol produced in the 1990s by Turkish manufacturer MKE.
Security Teams Scramble Over Illegal Firearms
The gifts created immediate problems, as many leaders could not legally bring the weapons home. An unnamed NATO official told Agence France-Presse that the gesture triggered “insane” responses behind the scenes from several delegations' security teams. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer informed reporters aboard his flight that he left his gun in Ankara for decommissioning, as importing it to the U.K. would be illegal. Starmer's gift also included 500 live bullets.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever was unaware he had brought a gun and live ammo onto his flight. A Belgian official told AFP that De Wever only “learned the exact nature of the gift” after landing and called Brussels' airport police to handle it. “The prime minister was surprised and immediately handed it over to airport police so it could be placed in a secure safe and the matter was handled in accordance with relevant procedures,” the official added. A photo published by Belgian outlet 7sur7 shows the weapon in a box on the tarmac, with Belgium's NATO delegation standing nearby.
Other Leaders' Responses
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar shared a photo of the gun on social media, describing it as “unusual.” The White House did not respond to HuffPost's inquiry about the fate of the gun gifted to President Donald Trump. According to Reuters, the Dutch and Swedish prime ministers left their guns at their respective embassies in Ankara. The Dutch weapon will be disabled, while the Swedish one will eventually reach Sweden after proper paperwork is completed.
