Belgium’s prime minister was taken aback upon his return from Wednesday’s NATO summit in Turkey to discover a handgun and ammunition in his luggage, reports BritPanorama.
Following a series of contentious discussions among NATO leaders in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented each leader with an unexpected memento: a vintage revolver complete with live ammunition, signalling it was more than just a ceremonial gift.
Erdogan’s intention was to highlight Turkey’s defense industry, which has increasingly become a strategic export and instrument of foreign policy.
Images released by the office of Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda depicted the Gumusay .357 Magnum, a rare six-shot revolver produced by Turkish arms manufacturer MKE in the 1990s, presented in a wooden display case adorned with Turkey’s flag and the NATO logo.
Engraved Turkish revolvers make unusual gifts
According to a spokesperson for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, all attendees received the same model, personalized with their names etched into the grips.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever chose to hand his over to Brussels airport police for safekeeping.
An aide to Polish President Karol Nawrocki confirmed to Radio RMF FM that his revolver was awaiting customs clearance at Warsaw Airport and would be stored carefully “so that it is firstly safe and secondly respected as a gift.”
“Certainly no one will be shooting it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Dutch and Swedish prime ministers indicated that their revolvers had been taken to their respective embassies in Ankara. The Dutch model was set to be disabled, while the Swedish version awaited the necessary import documentation.
The revolver presented to Britain’s Keir Starmer was accompanied by a cleaning kit and 500 rounds of ammunition, according to a source from Downing Street.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s revolver is already secured at the Palazzo Chigi, the seat of government, along with other diplomatic gifts.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to donate hers to a military museum.
Turkey’s contemporary handgun industry predominantly focuses on semi-automatic designs, making the Gumusay a collector’s item.
Turkish manufacturers have gained a foothold in Europe’s civilian firearm market, offering affordable pistols and shotguns that compete with established brands from Italy and Belgium known for producing higher-end sporting and service weapons.
Data from the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey indicates that Turkey ranked as the world’s third-largest exporter of small arms from 2019 to 2024, with approximately $3 billion in exports, following the United States and Italy.
